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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration 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”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.