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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional 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 stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car 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.