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

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.