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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.