Tesla Faces Auto Safety Probe After FSD Collisions

Tesla (TSLA) is now under federal investigation concerning potential safety defects within its Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised) system, a partially automated driving platform. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing the system following numerous reports indicating safety concerns.

According to filings and media reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 44 incidents involve Tesla drivers using FSD reporting the system caused traffic violations, including running red lights and veering into oncoming traffic. These incidents resulted in collisions, some leading to injuries.

NHTSA’s notice, published on Thursday, states the inquiry encompasses roughly 2,882,566 Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised) or FSD (Beta). This suggests the scope of the potential safety issue is widespread across Tesla’s electric car fleet. This investigation highlights the ongoing debate about the readiness and safety of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

It’s important to note that even with FSD activated, Tesla vehicles require continuous supervision from a human driver prepared to intervene by braking or steering.

The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has initiated a Preliminary Evaluation to determine if drivers received sufficient warning or had adequate time to react to unexpected FSD behavior, allowing them to safely supervise the automated driving process. This evaluation signals a critical examination of the human-machine interface (HMI) and its effectiveness in ensuring driver awareness and control.

The ODI’s probe specifically focuses on assessing the clarity of warnings issued to drivers, the time provided for reaction, FSD’s capabilities in detecting and responding to traffic signals, and the system’s performance in interpreting lane markings and wrong-way signage. This detailed assessment suggests NHTSA is taking a comprehensive approach to understanding potential failure points within the FSD system.

Tesla, while not immediately responding to requests for comment, recently launched version 14.1 of FSD to customers, suggesting continued development and iterative improvements to the system. However, the timing of the update alongside the NHTSA investigation raises questions about the pace of deployment versus safety validation.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long asserted Tesla vehicles could transform into “robotaxis” capable of generating revenue for owners autonomously. This vision, initially proposed as a simple software update, has since evolved to include hardware upgrades.

Currently, Tesla is testing a Robotaxi-branded ride-hailing service in select locations. However, these tests involve human safety drivers or valets who either operate the vehicle or manually intervene when necessary, illustrating the current limitations of the technology despite its “Full Self-Driving” moniker.

The NHTSA investigation comes amid broader industry scrutiny of autonomous driving technology. The challenges lie not only in the technological advancements needed for true autonomy but also in establishing robust regulatory frameworks and ensuring public trust in these systems.