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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

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

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

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