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

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to 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 October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.