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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

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

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

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

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.