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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction 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 display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

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