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American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle 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 a year.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.