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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing 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 October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.