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US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary 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 vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced 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 fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.