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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 Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, 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 technology's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, 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 presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.