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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.