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

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with 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 improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.