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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company'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 ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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