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

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

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