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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 several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior 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 concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

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

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle 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 twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.