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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended 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 under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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 capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.