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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

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

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.