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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

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

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.