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

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

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

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render 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 current implementations.