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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began 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 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.