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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.