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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned 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 being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.