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

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

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 public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.