🔗 Share this article American Regulators Initiate Inquiry into Autonomous Teslas Following Series of Crashes American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents. Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”. This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety. Alarming Case Findings The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology. NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”. The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries. Further Issues Identified The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”. Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”. Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year. In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal. Manufacturer's Official Stance The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.” Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.