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

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, 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 vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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 engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.