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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.