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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

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 regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.