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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through 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, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.