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

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced 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 cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.