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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

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

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

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 time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.