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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while using the system.

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

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.