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US automobile safety regulators have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.