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US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.