US Lawmaker Urges NHTSA Action on Tesla Autopilot and FSD Misuse

US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, in a letter to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, called on the US auto safety agency to take action to address misuse of Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. The letter cited 43 videos involving people falling asleep in the driver's seat of a moving Tesla or engaging in distracted driving. Some Tesla owners have posted videos showing drivers taking their hands off the steering wheel or performing other tasks while the systems were in use. Tesla, the US Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In 2023, Tesla recalled about 2 million vehicles, nearly all of its electric vehicles on US roads. In October 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a separate investigation into 2.9 million Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving, based on more than 50 reports of traffic safety violations and a series of traffic accidents. The agency said the FSD assistance system induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.