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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.