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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced 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 proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.