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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, 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 first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction 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 traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.