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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.