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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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