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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.