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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

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

Company's Stated Position

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

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.