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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing 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 late 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.