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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

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 duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

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 steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.