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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, 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 over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.