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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.