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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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