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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

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

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.