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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. 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 fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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