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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.