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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the 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 car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.