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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced 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 authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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 moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.