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

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, 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 system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended 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 capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.