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

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

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

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

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.