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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration 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 “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active 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 possible issues with current implementations.