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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration 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”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.