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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 after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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

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