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US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

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

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency 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, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.