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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog 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 operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.