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

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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

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