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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction 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 show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

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

Company'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 take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

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