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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

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

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.