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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, 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 marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.