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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection 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 display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

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