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Tesla’s autonomous vehicles have come under scrutiny this week following a number of reported incidents involving the company’s self-driving models.
The cars, which operate using FSD, or Full Self-Driving (Supervised), technology, are under investigation by the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after numerous incidents were reported to the agency.
Among these incidents were several cases of FSD vehicles running red lights, swerving into oncoming traffic, and making dangerous manoeuvres that violated national road safety regulations. There were over 50 reports of unsafe conduct, resulting in four injuries to members of the public.
Tesla has previously faced similar allegations, including an investigation opened in October 2024 concerning the efficacy of its self-driving software in low-visibility conditions.
The safety agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) announced last week that it had received 18 complaints about FSD vehicles running red lights or failing to obey traffic signals The ODI stated that among the reports was evidence that Tesla vehicles had,
“entered opposing lanes of travel during or following a turn, crossed double-yellow lane markings while proceeding straight, or attempted to turn onto a road in the wrong direction despite the presence of wrong-way road signs.”
Despite its name, Tesla’s FSD technology is currently recognised as a Level 2 driver-assistance system, requiring active supervision at all times.
According to Tesla, its FSD technology,
“intelligently and accurately completes driving manoeuvres for you, including route navigation, steering, lane changes, parking, and more — under your active supervision.”
The ODI has opened a preliminary investigation into Tesla’s FSD models and aims to complete its review within the standard eight-month timeline.
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