Tesla Robotaxi Under Scrutiny After Traffic Violations in First Test Drive

Tesla has started the test of its robotaxis and there are already several videos that show questionable scenes: vehicles on the wrong side of the street, speed violation, sudden braking. The traffic safety authority calls for this.

NHTSA demands information about Tesla robotaxis

The US Transport Security Authority National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contacted Tesla after videos have appeared on social media, which show how the company’s new robotaxis in Austin, Texas, violated various traffic rules after just one day. The recordings show, among other things, how a self-driving Tesla vehicle drives on the wrong side of the street and another mid-traffic braked suddenly.

In a statement, the NHTSA confirmed that it “has knowledge of the incidents mentioned and is in contact with the manufacturer to collect additional information.” The authority emphasized that after evaluating the reports and other relevant information, it will take all the necessary measures to protect traffic safety. “
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Tesla started his long-awaited Robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday. Loud Bloomberg If this is a limited test with around ten to 20 model Y SUVs that operate in a delimited area of ​​the Texas city. The vehicles are equipped with the latest version of the “Full Self-Driving unsupervized” software, but have a human watchdog in the passenger seat.

Documented traffic violations

In one of the videos divided on social media you can see how a model Y in a crossing in a left turn, but then hesitates, switches to the right and gets into a trail that is intended for oncoming traffic (see above, from approx. 7:15). In other videos you can see how Tesla robotaxis exceed the speed limit or brake unexpectedly in the presence of blue lights (see below).
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk celebrated the start of the Robotaxi service on Sunday and congratulated the employees on a successful launch. The Tesla share rose by about eight percent on Monday, which reflects the enthusiasm of investors about this step.

Strict test conditions in Austin

The current test operation in Austin is subject to strict restrictions: the vehicles only operate in daylight and good weather, do not take people under the age of 18 and avoid difficult crossings. Nevertheless, the start marks an important milestone because the company has been working on the development of fully autonomous vehicles for years.

Austin was not chosen as a test site. The Texas capital is considered a technology -friendly and has already gained experience with autonomous vehicles. In addition, Tesla runs one of his largest production facilities there, the Gigafactory Texas, which was opened in 2022 and produces both Model Y and the cybertruck.