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

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.