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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.