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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.