U.S. automotive safety authorities have initiated an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with fully autonomous driving technology due to traffic safety infractions following multiple accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the electric vehicle manufacturer’s automated driving assistance system, which necessitates driver attention and intervention when required, “caused vehicle actions that contravened traffic safety regulations.”
NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation marks the initial step that could lead to a vehicle recall if deemed a safety risk.
The agency reported incidents of 2.88-metre Teslas disobeying red lights and traveling against oncoming traffic while changing lanes while utilizing the system.
NHTSA indicated that there were six reports of Tesla vehicles in fully autonomous driving (FSD) mode “entering intersections on red, proceeding into intersections against red lights, and subsequently colliding with other vehicles within those intersections.”
The agency highlighted that at least one individual sustained injuries in four of the crashes. Tesla has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comments.
NHTSA documented 18 complaints and a media report stating that Tesla vehicles operating in FSD mode “failed to adhere to red lights, did not come to a complete stop, or inadequately detected and displayed the appropriate signal conditions on the vehicle interface.”
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Some whistleblowers expressed that the FSD “failed to provide any alerts regarding the system’s operation when approaching a red light.”
Tesla’s FSD is more sophisticated than the Autopilot system and has been under NHTSA scrutiny for a year.
In October 2024, authorities initiated an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD following four accidents under poor visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. One incident in 2023 resulted in a fatality.
According to Tesla’s website, FSD is “designed for fully attentive drivers who maintain their hands on the wheel and are prepared to assume control at any moment. These features are meant to grow more capable over time, but the features currently enabled do not render the vehicle self-driving.”
Reuters contributed to this report
Source: www.theguardian.com
