Federal Transportation Regulation

Tesla has disclosed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that its driverless Model Y robotaxis in Austin, Texas, have been involved in 14 crashes since the service launched in June 2025, including two incidents that caused minor injuries and a dozen that damaged other vehicles or fixed objects. NHTSA’s newly posted data show the five most recent crashes occurred in December and January, adding to an existing federal investigation opened last summer after videos captured Tesla robotaxis driving on the wrong side of the road and braking erratically. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported, but under federal rules Tesla must keep reporting any Automated Driving System crashes while NHTSA evaluates whether a safety defect exists and if vehicles should be pulled or modified. The Austin pilot, which began with invited riders and now lets the general public hail rides via Tesla’s Robotaxi app, is serving as the company’s testbed as it prepares to roll out robotaxis in seven U.S. cities in early 2026 and aims to reach half of U.S. states by year’s end. Elon Musk has told investors Tesla is “moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” touting a forthcoming Cybercab he expects will eventually outnumber all of Tesla’s other vehicles combined, even as safety advocates and regulators are watching the Austin record closely as a bellwether for the broader U.S. rollout.