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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the car 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 late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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