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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency 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 violated road safety regulations”.

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

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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