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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 crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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 time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.