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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

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

The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render 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.