Tesla is under investigation by the U.S. government following reports of its self-driving cars breaking traffic laws, including driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop at red lights.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are 58 incidents of such violations, affecting an estimated 2.9 million vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology.
The NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation aims to assess the scope and potential safety issues associated with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode, which allows vehicles to make lane changes and turns under the driver’s supervision. However, incidents have been reported where cars bypassed red lights, resulting in crashes and injuries.
The investigation will also look into cases where Tesla vehicles entered opposite lanes while turning, often without sufficient warning for drivers to react. The agency noted that Tesla has made efforts to address these issues, especially at specific intersections.
Tesla is already facing another investigation related to door locking mechanisms following concerns about children being trapped inside Model Y vehicles, which has led to dangerous situations where parents have had to break windows to rescue their children.
In light of these ongoing safety concerns, Tesla is also trying to gain market traction with newly unveiled lower-cost models to compete against rivals in the electric vehicle sector.
