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American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.