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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two 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.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.