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

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.