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US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction 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 show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing 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 authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

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

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.