Federal safety officials open probe into Tesla FSD as traffic violation reports mount

Federal safety officials announced Thursday they are looking into nearly 3 million Tesla cars over concerns that the company’s driving assistance technology is breaking traffic laws and causing accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received more than 50 complaints about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system. The technology, which still needs drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, has caused cars to behave in ways that break traffic rules, according to the agency.

Officials said Tesla vehicles using the system have been reported going through red lights and making unsafe lane changes by driving the wrong way. The agency is examining 58 separate incidents that include 14 accidents and 23 injuries, according to Bloomberg.

The probe arrives as lawmakers increase their attention on Tesla’s technology. A new head of NHTSA recently took office. Tesla released a software fix for the system earlier this week, but did not respond to questions about the investigation.

Red light violations lead to multiple injuries

Six incidents stand out where Tesla cars with the system turned on approached intersections with red lights, kept going anyway, and crashed into other vehicles. Four of these accidents left people injured.

This first stage of the investigation could result in Tesla having to recall the vehicles if officials decide they create serious safety problems.

One driver from Houston told the agency last year that the system “is not recognizing traffic signals. This results in the vehicle proceeding through red lights and stopping at green lights.”

The same driver said Tesla refuses to address the problem, stating: “Tesla doesn’t want to fix it, or even acknowledge the problem, even though they’ve done a test drive with me and seen the issue with their own eyes.”

Railroad crossing safety under review

Safety officials also plan to look at how the system works near railroad crossings. Two Democratic senators, Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, asked for this investigation last month after hearing about multiple close calls.

The Full Self-Driving system, which does more than Tesla’s basic Autopilot feature, has been under federal review for 12 months.

Last October, NHTSA started looking into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with the technology after four crashes happened when visibility was poor from sun glare, fog, or dust. One of those crashes in 2023 caused a fatality.

Tesla tells customers the system “will drive you almost anywhere with your active supervision, requiring minimal intervention,” but makes clear it does not turn the car into a truly self-driving vehicle.

Other Tesla features have also caught the agency’s attention. In January, officials opened an investigation into 2.6 million vehicles after crashes involving a feature that lets owners move their cars from far away using their phones.

NHTSA is currently reviewing Tesla’s self-driving taxi service that started operating in Austin, Texas, this past June.

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