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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 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 deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.