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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 after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running 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, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants 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 being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

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