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US automobile safety regulators have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents 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, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car 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 current implementations.