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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation 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 regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company'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 ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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