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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer'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 currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.