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

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status 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 coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, 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 functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.