🔗 Share this article US Regulators Initiate Investigation into Autonomous Teslas Following Series of Crashes American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents. Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”. This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety. Alarming Case Findings The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology. NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”. The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries. Further Safety Concerns The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”. Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”. Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year. In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly. Company's Official Stance The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.” Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.