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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

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”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.