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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.