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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, 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 marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.