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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle 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 current implementations.