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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing 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 started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.