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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the system.

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 involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

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

Manufacturer'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 take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.