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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.