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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared 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.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.