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

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.