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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

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

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.