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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with 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 declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using 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 fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.