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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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