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

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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