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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, 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 wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.