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

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by 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 currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.