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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.