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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at 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 light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.