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

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “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 proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.