US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.
This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.
The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the technology.
NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.
The agency reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.
The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.
Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.
The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.
In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.
The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”
Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.
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