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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.