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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

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