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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

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 caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.