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American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

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

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was coming to 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 a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.