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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.