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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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 authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company'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 steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.