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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

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 take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.