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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 following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive 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 potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.