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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority 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, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.