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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

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

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, 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 steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.