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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.