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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

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 October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.