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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed 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 drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

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 stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.