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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time 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”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing 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 late 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.