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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, 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 prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.