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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.