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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

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

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction 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 display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

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 October 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.