American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulationsâ.
This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.
The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.
NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, âapproached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junctionâ.
The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.
The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's displayâ.
Several reporters also stated that FSD âfailed to give warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red lightâ.
Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.
In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.
Tesla's website states that FSD is âintended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.â
Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.
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