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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, 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 warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.