The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a defect petition file over allegations that Tesla Robotaxis speed through active school zones. The petition, filed September 23, includes three social media videos and four incidents, with no crashes or injuries reported. NHTSA estimates the affected fleet at about 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles.
This is the third federal action against Tesla's driverless fleet in about five weeks, following an audit query and a Special Order over Cybercab certification. NHTSA has 120 days from receiving the petition to decide whether to grant a formal investigation, putting the deadline around January 21, 2027. A grant could lead to a recall.
Tesla has faced speed-related scrutiny before, including videos from the Austin Robotaxi launch and a separate FSD investigation. But unlike supervised FSD, where the owner is responsible, a Robotaxi has no human behind the wheel, making Tesla's ADS the decision-maker. The article also notes Waymo had a similar school-zone issue and issued a voluntary recall in December 2025.