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US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic 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, operating with FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.