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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, 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 vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.