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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, 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 fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.