US Investigates 2.9 Million Teslas Over Self-Driving Crashes
- The NHTSA has opened an investigation into Tesla’s Full-Self Driving system.
- It’s primarily focused on cars running red lights and going into oncoming traffic.
- The government will also examine how FSD handles railroad crossings.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has launched an inquiry into Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) system, covering 2.88 million vehicles equipped with the technology.
The investigation aims to examine how often and how seriously FSD breaks traffic laws, and whether those errors pose safety risks, following more than 50 reports of violations and a series of crashes, many of which resulted in injuries.
More: Inside Tesla’s Legal War To Overturn $329M Autopilot Crash Verdict
Despite the name and marketing hype, FSD (Supervised) is a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving system, which requires a fully attentive driver that can intervene when needed. Given this, the government noted the driver “remains fully responsible at all times for driving the vehicle, including complying with applicable traffic laws.”
Since the driver is ultimately responsible, the investigation will focus on “whether certain driving inputs within the control authority of FSD forestall the driver’s supervision when they are unexpectedly performed.” The NHTSA noted a number of incidents where FSD violated traffic safety laws and said these typically involve two different types of scenarios.
The first is running red traffic signals (presumably red lights and stop signs), while the second involves driving into oncoming traffic. Both are serious violations, which could potentially result in an accident.
Seeing Red
Note: Video contains NSFW language
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said they found 18 complains and one media report alleging vehicles with FSD engaged “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface.”
Some people also complained that FSD didn’t give them a warning about its intended behavior as the vehicle approached a red traffic signal.
In six incidents, vehicles with FSD engaged ignored a red light and were then involved in a crash at an intersection. Four of these accidents resulted in injuries.
The ODI has been working with the Maryland Transportation Authority and Maryland State Police, and believes the problem may be repeatable as multiple incidents have occurred at one particular intersection in Joppa, Maryland. However, the government believes Tesla has taken steps to address the issue at that specific location.
Crossing The Line
In regards to the second scenario, the ODI has found 22 reports of Tesla vehicles crossing double-yellow lane markings, entering oncoming lanes of traffic during or after a turn, or attempting to drive the wrong way despite the presence of warning signs.
In some cases, drivers were reportedly given little opportunity to intervene when the vehicle decided to go into the oncoming lane.
There were also 11 reports alleging vehicles drove straight through an intersection despite being in a turn lane, or turned at an intersection in a lane they shouldn’t have. In effect, FSD appears to ignore the rules of the road and will turn or go straight whenever it wants.
The Investigation
The ODI says their investigation will “assess whether there was prior warning or adequate time for the driver to respond to the unexpected behavior or to safely supervise the automated driving task.” As part of this effort, they’ll review the warnings that drivers receive and how much time they’re given to react.
The government will also look into FSD’s ability to detect traffic signals and respond appropriately to them. Likewise, they’ll look into the system’s ability to detect and respond to lane markings and wrong-way signs.
In total, the government is aware of 58 related incidents involving FSD. These resulted in a total of 14 crashes or fires as well as 23 injuries. Thankfully, there were no deaths.
While the investigation will primarily focus on how FSD handles intersections, it will also “encompass any other types of situations in which this behavior may arise, such as when traveling adjacent to a lane of opposing traffic or when approaching railroad crossings.” The latter has been in the spotlight recently, following a number of incidents including a collision with a train.
The Auto World
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