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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.