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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, 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 failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching 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 twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.