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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

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

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

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