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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, 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 noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

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 ready to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

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