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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.