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US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.