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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive 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 render the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.