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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

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 moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

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.