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US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, 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 traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.