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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.