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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

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

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

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 stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

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

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.