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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology'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 under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.