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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

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

The authority noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.