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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.