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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.