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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 following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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