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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

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

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.