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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

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

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer'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 assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.