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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.