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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.