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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in 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 engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.