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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.