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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned 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 October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.