NHTSA considers petition over alleged Tesla robotaxi speeding near schools — Electrek

In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened case DP26010 to consider a petition regarding possible speeding by Tesla robotaxis in active school zones. The petition concerns 2026 model-year robotaxis with the Tesla Automated Driving System enabled.

As Electrek reports, the petition was submitted to the regulator on September 23, and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened the relevant case on October 9. This is not yet a formal investigation: the agency must determine whether there are grounds to begin one.

Videos and incident reports

The evidence in the petition consists of three social media videos cited by the petitioner, as well as four incidents listed in NHTSA's count. The materials do not mention crashes, injuries, or deaths.

Federal rules give NHTSA 120 days from receipt of a petition to grant or deny it. According to the publication's calculation, the deadline for a decision falls around January 21, 2027. If the petition is granted, the agency will launch an official defect investigation, which could potentially result in a vehicle recall.

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Assessment of the robotaxi fleet

NHTSA estimates the Tesla robotaxi fleet covered by the petition at approximately 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. Tesla does not disclose the number of robotaxis it operates, and the regulator described its figure as an estimate.

Speed-related concerns had previously arisen regarding Tesla software: videos from the launch of the robotaxi service in Austin in June 2025 showed vehicles traveling faster than the posted limit. At the time, NHTSA said it was in contact with Tesla about the matter.

Other regulatory actions

In October 2025, NHTSA also opened another investigation into Full Self-Driving over possible traffic law violations, including running red lights and driving in the wrong lane. Separately, the agency required Tesla, under oath, to explain how the Cybercab without pedals or a steering wheel complies with federal safety standards.