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US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction 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 show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing 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 authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.