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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 several collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

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