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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.