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US automobile safety regulators have started an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.