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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

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 active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.