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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.