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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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