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

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

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 October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

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 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 vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.