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

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts 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 basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company'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 steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.