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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.