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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.