A major U.S. safety agency has launched a new investigation into Tesla’s self-driving car technology. The probe comes after numerous reports of Tesla vehicles breaking basic traffic laws, raising serious questions about the system’s reliability and public safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into an estimated 2.9 million Tesla cars equipped with the “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” feature. The investigation was triggered by 58 specific incident reports where the technology allegedly malfunctioned.
According to the filling, the reported violations are alarming. They include instances of Tesla cars driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop for steady red lights. In one particularly concerning pattern, the NHTSA noted six crashes happened because cars would stop at a green light and then proceed while the light was still red. These incidents resulted in injuries in four cases. The agency also highlighted that some of these dangerous situations gave the human driver behind the wheel very little time to react and take control.
While Tesla has addressed one specific issue at a problematic intersection in in Maryland, the broader safety concerns remain. This new investigation adds to Tesla’s existing challenges with the NHTSA, which is already looking into reports of children being trapped inside Model Y cars due to faulty door locks.
This scrutiny comes at a pivotal time for the electric vehicle giant. As Tesla works to complete with more affordable EVs, often from Chinese manufactures, the spotlight on the safety and performance of its premium self-driving technology intensifies. For owners who pay extra for the “Full Self-Driving” package, the promise is a car that can navigate streets, but the reality, as this investigation suggests, requires constant driver alertness to prevent dangerous errors.
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