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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist 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 use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.