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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, 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 potential challenges with current implementations.