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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

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

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began 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 airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company'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 take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.