Tesla’s self-driving cars come under attack again

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a new investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles operating with “fully self-driving” (FSD). Authorities say the system may be violating traffic laws and, worse, causing accidents. According to Reuters, 58 reports describe Teslas running red lights, swerving into wrong lanes and even crashing at intersections. Fourteen of those cases involved actual accidents and 23 caused injuries.

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Red lights, train tracks and problems ahead

In a surprising pattern, six Tesla vehicles allegedly ran red lights before colliding with other cars. A driver in Houston complained that the FSD “doesn’t recognize traffic signs,” saying the car stopped at green lights but ran through red ones. The driver even said that Tesla had seen the problem firsthand during a test drive, but refused to fix it. The agency is also reviewing new reports that some Teslas using FSD failed to handle railroad crossings safely, and one case involved a near-collision with an oncoming train.

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Increasing legal and security scrutiny

This is far from Tesla’s first brush with regulators. The company is already facing several investigations related to its Autopilot and FSD systems. In a high-profile case, a California jury ordered Tesla to pay $329 million after an Autopilot-related crash killed a woman. Another investigation is looking into Tesla’s limited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, where passengers reported erratic driving and speeding, even with human drivers on board. Meanwhile, Tesla is still fighting a false advertising lawsuit from the California DMV. Regulators say calling the software “Full Self-Driving” is misleading because it requires constant driver supervision. Tesla recently changed the name to “Fully Autonomous Driving (Supervised)” to reflect that reality.

Regulators say more accidents may occur

The latest update to Tesla’s FSD software arrived just days before the investigation began. But NHTSA says the system has already “induced vehicle behavior that violates highway safety laws.” This investigation, now in its early stages, could lead to a recall if the agency determines that Tesla’s self-driving software poses a safety risk.

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What does this mean to you?

If you drive a Tesla with FSD enabled, stay alert. The system is not completely autonomous, no matter what the name suggests. Ought:

• Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road at all times.
• Manually override the system when approaching intersections, pedestrian crossings, or railroad tracks.
• Check for Tesla software updates regularly; They may include critical security fixes.
• Report any unsafe FSD behavior to NHTSA.

For everyone else, this research is a reminder that “autonomous driving” still means supervised driving.

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Kurt’s Key Takeaways

Tesla’s dream of a fully autonomous future continues to encounter obstacles. With safety regulators circling and lawsuits piling up, the company’s next steps will shape public confidence in AI-powered transportation. Still, the push toward automation is not slowing; it is simply under more intense surveillance.

How much control would you give an AI behind the wheel? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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