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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

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

The agency noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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