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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.