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US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.