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

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

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

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.