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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.