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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared 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 vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.