The US government has launched an investigation into Tesla following reports that its self-driving cars have violated traffic laws, including driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop at red lights.
According to a filing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency has received 58 reports of such incidents involving Tesla vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. The probe covers an estimated 2.9 million cars.
The NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation aims to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety risks of Tesla’s self-driving technology. In this mode — available as an optional paid upgrade — vehicles can make turns and lane changes autonomously, though drivers are required to remain alert and ready to take control at any moment.
The report highlighted six crashes caused by cars moving through red lights after briefly stopping, with four of those incidents resulting in injuries. Tesla reportedly took corrective measures after multiple red-light violations occurred at a particular intersection in Maryland.
The agency will also examine cases where Teslas allegedly veered into oncoming traffic lanes while making turns, noting that in some instances, drivers had little time to react or prevent the maneuver.
This is the latest in a series of safety investigations facing Tesla. The company is already under scrutiny for malfunctioning door locks in its Model Y vehicles, after several cases in which children became trapped inside — forcing some owners to break windows to free them.
Meanwhile, Tesla has recently introduced more affordable versions of its popular models to compete with lower-priced electric vehicles, particularly those produced by Chinese manufacturers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was once a close ally of former US President Donald Trump, has since fallen out with him and launched his own political group, the “America Party,” earlier this year.
