đ Share this article US Authorities Launch Probe into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents. Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety lawsâ. This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety. Concerning Incident Reports The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology. NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, âapproached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersectionâ. The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants. Further Issues Identified The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's displayâ. Several reporters also claimed that FSD âfailed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red lightâ. Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year. In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal. Manufacturer's Official Stance The company's official position indicates that FSD is âintended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.â Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.