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

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the car autonomous.”

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