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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

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

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.