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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated 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 initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.