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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “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 car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.