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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.