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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

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

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.