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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “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 display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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