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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

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

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.