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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates 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 capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.