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US automobile safety regulators have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection 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 correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.