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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 numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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 take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.