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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates 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 designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.