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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

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

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.