Federal Safety Regulators Contact Tesla After Reports of Robotaxis Violating Traffic Laws in Austin
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reached out to Tesla following reports of Tesla robotaxis violating traffic laws in South Austin. This comes a day after the automaker launched its branded robotaxi service in the area, offering rides to invited customers.
According to videos posted online, Tesla robotaxis have been observed speeding and even driving into the wrong lane. NHTSA confirmed that it has contacted Tesla to gather additional information regarding these incidents. The agency emphasized that it will continue to enforce the law and investigate any potential safety defects involving motor vehicles and equipment.
Tesla’s robotaxis are equipped with an unsupervised version of its Full Self-Driving Supervised software, although specific details about this software have not been disclosed by the company. Customers can hail these robotaxis via an app, and they are designed to operate autonomously. However, each robotaxi is accompanied by a human “safety monitor” in the front passenger seat during rides.
Ed Niedermeyer, author of “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors,” who is monitoring the robotaxi rollout in Austin, captured video footage showing a Tesla robotaxi abruptly hitting the brakes on two occasions for no apparent reason. In both instances, the vehicle slowed down as it approached police vehicles in parking lots adjacent to the road.
It remains to be seen how NHTSA’s investigation and Tesla’s response will impact the future of the company’s autonomous vehicle technology and the safety of its robotaxi service in Austin.
