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

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

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

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.