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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.