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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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 time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

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