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

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.