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US automobile safety regulators have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

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

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.