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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars 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

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.