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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary 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 car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions 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 use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready 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 vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.