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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “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 proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

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 features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.