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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

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

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.