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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

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

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions 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 existing deployments.