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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through 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 display the correct light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.