Videos showing drivers who were sleeping while their Teslas were in operation on public roadways have led to increased federal scrutiny of Tesla's driver-assistance features.
After seeing the videos, an Illinois congressman urged regulators to investigate, USA Today reported.
Here's what to know
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to look into whether Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features have adequate safeguards to keep drivers engaged.
The congressman raised the concern in a Thursday letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He referenced dozens of videos of Tesla drivers asleep while their cars were in motion.
"A recent NBC News investigation identified 43 videos that appear to show individuals asleep in the driver's seat of moving Teslas, including 17 posted this year alone," Krishnamoorthi wrote, per USA Today.
In his letter, Krishnamoorthi emphasized that the systems are not intended to operate without active human oversight.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"These incidents are particularly alarming because Autopilot and FSD require active driver supervision and are not autonomous driving systems," he said, according to the newspaper.
NHTSA says it has six open probes related to Tesla vehicles, including an engineering analysis of FSD that the agency upgraded in March after several Teslas crashed under reduced-visibility conditions such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
NHTSA said one of those crashes killed a pedestrian.
More background
Autonomous driving technology is commonly ranked with a five-level system. Level 1 is used to identify the least-autonomous technology, while Level 5 vehicles are fully autonomous, capable of operating safely without human monitoring or intervention.
The California Learning Resource Network classifies Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD as Level 2 systems, meaning the person behind the wheel must still monitor the road and be ready to intervene.
"Despite its name … Tesla FSD is not a Level 5 autonomous system. Currently, and as of the time of this writing, it is generally considered to be a Level 2 system with advanced capabilities, verging on Level 3, but not fully meeting its requirements," CLRN stated in February 2025, per USA Today.
Tesla includes a similar warning in its own Model 3 owner's manual, the paper noted: "You must remain attentive and be ready to take over at all times while Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is engaged. While Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is engaged, the cabin camera monitors driver attentiveness."
The increased scrutiny comes as Tesla is rolling out its two-seat Cybercab robotaxi with plans to make the service publicly available in several states.
USA Today reported that NHTSA opened an investigation into Cybercab operations.
What's being done?
Krishnamoorthi wants NHTSA to investigate whether Tesla has done enough to prevent driver disengagement when driving-assistance tools are engaged.
"NHTSA has already identified the dangers that can arise when a highly capable driver-assistance system is paired with inadequate safeguards against driver disengagement," he stated, per USA Today. "The recent evidence warrants a clear determination of whether those lessons have been fully addressed."
Where can I learn more?
Federal investigations are part of a larger dialogue over how Tesla's driver-assistance systems work in practice. The coverage below looks at risky behavior behind the wheel, owner complaints about Autopilot, and other safety issues involving the electric vehicles.
• Across Tesla's driver-assistance rollout, reckless behavior among drivers intensified fears about misuse.
• On Reddit, Tesla owners described safety issues with Autopilot that left some to avoid it.
• Tesla stirred backlash by placing Basic Autopilot behind a paywall, raising safety concerns.
• In Congress, lawmakers proposed a Tesla door-handle bill after recurring safety complaints.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
