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American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation 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 initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.