Federal regulators have initiated yet another investigation into Tesla’s self-driving technology, prompted by a series of disturbing incidents in which vehicles have run red lights, driven against traffic, and crashed into others, resulting in injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is examining 58 incidents involving Tesla cars that reportedly violated traffic safety laws while using the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode. These incidents have led to over a dozen crashes, fires, and nearly 20 serious injuries.
Elon Musk has ambitious plans for the future, vowing to deploy hundreds of thousands of driverless taxis across U.S. cities by the end of next year. However, the latest investigation affects 2.9 million vehicles, essentially all Tesla models equipped with FSD technology.
Critics say that the nomenclature misleads drivers into believing they can relinquish full control of their vehicles. Tesla maintains that it has consistently advised drivers that the system is not fully autonomous and that the driver must always be prepared to take control.
In addition to the current investigation, the NHTSA launched another probe last year into 2.4 million Teslas following several accidents, including one fatal incident involving a pedestrian under poor visibility conditions. Earlier this year, the agency also investigated a “summon” feature after multiple crashes in parking scenarios. Another investigation that began in August concerns Tesla’s failure to report accidents promptly — a legal requirement.
As investigations continue to mount, the concerns surrounding the total number of Tesla crashes, deaths, serious injuries, and vehicle recalls highlight significant challenges for the company’s ambitions in autonomous driving technology. Tesla’s future in the self-driving sector is uncertain as regulators scrutinize its practices and safety record.
"*" indicates required fields