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

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

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

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.