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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

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

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.