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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities 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 existing deployments.