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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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 started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.