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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, 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 ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.