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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.