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

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

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 authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes 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 fully attentive driver, 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 presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.