US congressman calls on NHTSA to assess Tesla's safeguards against FSD misuse
In the United States, Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi appealed to the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), demanding clarification on whether Tesla is doing enough to prevent improper use of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. In his letter, he requested data collected by the regulator, an assessment of the effectiveness of Tesla's measures, and information on whether NHTSA's findings could indicate a broader safety defect requiring a vehicle recall.
Videos and citations
As InsideEVs reports, the appeal is connected to an NBC investigation. It identified at least 43 videos in which Tesla drivers were allegedly sleeping or distracted while the vehicle was moving with FSD activated. Seventeen of these videos were published in 2026.
NBC also identified 13 cases in California in which drivers were issued citations for this type of dangerous driving. One Tesla owner from California, who agreed to an interview without having his name disclosed, admitted that he sleeps while FSD is activated, although he understands that such actions are illegal.
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Driver attention monitoring
In its user manual, Tesla states that the driver must remain engaged in driving and is responsible for the vehicle while Level 2 driver-assistance systems are operating. The company uses an in-cabin camera that monitors attention through eye and head movements, as well as tracking the driver's actions via the steering wheel. If the system believes the driver is not watching the road, it issues warnings.
At the same time, according to the publication, some owners find ways to bypass these monitoring mechanisms. NHTSA is already conducting a separate investigation into 3.2 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD. Krishnamoorthi is asking the regulator to clarify how thoroughly it has studied the risks of improper system use and the effectiveness of measures to prevent such cases.
