2.9 million Tesla cars face probe after owners report accidents involving self-driving mode: Details

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday opened yet another probe into electric carmaker Tesla's self-driving feature. The latest investigation stems from customer reports where Tesla cars in self-driving mode violated red light or drove into the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries.

In a filing, the regulator said that it was beginning a probe into 58 incidents where Tesla cars apparently violated traffic safety laws when their Full Self-Driving mode was running. The incidents caused than a dozen crashes and fires and nearly two dozen injuries.

The agency further said that the investigation will be conducted on all 2.9 million Tesla vehicles.

In the new probe, regulators reported that many of the Tesla drivers involved accidents said the cars gave them no warning about the unexpected behaviour.

“While the behaviors under investigation appear to occur most frequently at intersections, NHTSA’s investigation will encompass any other types of situations in which this behaviour may arise, such as when traveling adjacent to a lane of opposing traffic or when approaching railroad crossings,” the NHTSA said in a statement.

According to a report by NCB News, Tesla vehicles using the FSD software often fail to stop for train tracks and mishandle situations at railway crossings. They keep advvancing even when red lights flash and gate arms get lowered.

Tesla already facing several probes

NHTSA also opened an investigation earlier this year for a “summon” technology that allows drivers to tell their cars to drive to their location to pick them up after reports of several fender benders in parking lots.

Another investigation was launched by the agency in August looking into why Tesla apparently has not been reporting crashes promptly as required.

That same month, a Miami jury found that Tesla was partly responsible for a deadly 2019 crash in Florida involving its Autopilot driver assist technology — which is different than full self-driving — and must pay the victims more than $240 million in damages. Tesla said it would appeal the decision.

The FSD system under investigation is what is called Level 2 driver-assistance software that requires drivers to pay full attention to the road. A new version of FSD was introduced earlier this week. The company is also testing a vastly upgraded version that does not require driver intervention, something that Musk has been promising to roll out for years.

(With agency inputs)