Lawmaker demands DOT response on Tesla driver safety

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has issued a formal demand for the Department of Transportation to clarify its regulatory stance on Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software. The request follows an NBC News investigation that identified 43 videos of drivers who appear to be sleeping in moving vehicles. Krishnamoorthi has set a September 30 deadline for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to respond to five specific questions regarding the safety of these systems.

The core of the controversy lies in how Tesla manages driver attention. The company explicitly states that its software requires active human supervision and is not autonomous. However, the congressman argues that the in-car monitoring system fails to enforce this requirement effectively, creating a gap between the manufacturer’s safety claims and the actual behavior of users on the road.

In-car monitoring systems fail to ensure focus

Tesla’s vehicles use a cabin camera to track driver eye movement and ensure they remain attentive. When the system detects drowsiness, it displays a message urging the driver to stay focused with Full Self-Driving. Krishnamoorthi argues this response is counterintuitive, as it encourages continued use of the automation rather than forcing the driver to take immediate manual control or pull over safely.

Furthermore, Electrek has reported that owners have found simple ways to bypass these safety checks. Some users place a folded bill over the camera, while others wear sunglasses to defeat the eye-tracking technology. This ease of circumvention suggests that the current monitoring design prioritizes keeping the feature active over ensuring the driver is physically awake and capable of intervening.

Federal probe nears final safety decision

The congressional letter arrives at a critical juncture for NHTSA, the federal safety agency. Its investigation into approximately 3.2 million Tesla vehicles has been upgraded to an engineering analysis, which is the final phase before the agency either closes the case or orders a mandatory recall. The probe has already identified nine incidents linked to reduced visibility, including one fatality and one injury.

Krishnamoorthi seeks to know if NHTSA considers the sleeping-driver videos indicative of a systemic problem. He is also asking for NHTSA’s assessment of the cabin camera’s actual effectiveness and what specific findings would trigger a safety recall. The congressman wants clarity on whether the agency has contacted Tesla regarding these specific incidents and what data has been collected on driver inattention since early 2024.

Regulatory response faces political and technical hurdles

While congressional pressure often prompts agency action, this case presents unique challenges. The current Department of Transportation has shown limited appetite for aggressive regulation of Tesla, a company with significant political influence. Therefore, the response by the September 30 deadline may be measured rather than decisive. The outcome will hinge on whether NHTSA prioritizes the safety data over the commercial interests of the automaker.

The situation highlights a broader trade-off in the automotive industry between the convenience of advanced driver assistance systems and the robustness of their safety safeguards. If the monitoring systems can be easily defeated by low-cost methods, the burden of safety shifts entirely to the driver, contradicting the promise of assisted driving. The coming weeks will reveal whether federal regulators are willing to enforce stricter standards for driver engagement.