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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 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, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.