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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

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

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

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

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.