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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive 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 crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities 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 practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.