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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused 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 Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.