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

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.