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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

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

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, 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 presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.