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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging 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 failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

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

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with 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 improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.