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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

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

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through 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 display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.