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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.