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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.