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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.