09 October 2025 , 23:54
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Tesla is under investigation by the US government following reports that the company’s self-driving cars have violated traffic laws, including driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to stop at red lights.
The company stated that it was aware of 58 reports involving electric cars committing such violations, according to a filing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
An estimated 2.9 million cars equipped with full self-driving technology will be subject to the investigation.
Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk recently became the world’s first half-trillionaire, has been contacted for comment.
The NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation will "assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences" of the "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" mode.
In this mode - which is an additional cost for Tesla owners - the cars can perform lane changes and turns, but drivers must always be prepared to take control at any moment.
According to the NHTSA report, there were six crashes resulting from cars stopping at a traffic light and then proceeding while the light was still red.
Four of these crashes resulted in injuries.
The traffic authority stated that Tesla has taken steps "to address the issue" of cars running red lights at a particular intersection in Maryland, where the problem occurred repeatedly.
The agency will also investigate reports of vehicles moving into the opposite lane when making a turn.
It noted that some of the reported incidents provided "little notice to a driver or opportunity to intervene."
Tesla is already facing an investigation from the NHTSA over the cars’ door locking mechanisms, following incidents where children were reportedly trapped inside Model Y cars.
In some cases, car owners opted to break the windows to free them.
Tesla recently unveiled more affordable versions of two of its most popular cars, as it attempts to compete with cheaper electric vehicles often produced by Chinese companies.
Its CEO Elon Musk was previously a close ally of President Donald Trump before a public falling-out earlier in the year.
In July, he announced the formation of a new political party, the America Party, in an effort to challenge the Republicans and Democrats.
Politics Editor