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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.