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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by 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 become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.