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American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.