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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

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

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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