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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

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 assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.