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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

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

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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 take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.