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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

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

The authority noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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 investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.