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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, 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 intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, 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 existing deployments.