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

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates 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 moment. 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 growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.