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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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 agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, 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 steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

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