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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

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

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.