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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

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

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.