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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.