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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching 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 started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer'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 ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.