NHTSA opens probe into Tesla robotaxis for speeding in school zones

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a defect-petition investigation on October 9 into whether Tesla’s Model Y and Cybercab robotaxis exceed posted speed limits in active school zones. The probe stems from a September 23 petition that included three video links showing the Automated Driving System in use. Roughly 1,000 vehicles are subject to the inquiry, which so far records four incidents—all non-crash reports from a formal complaint and social-media sources.

NHTSA is still deciding whether to expand the inquiry into a full investigation. This scrutiny follows a separate NHTSA review of the Cybercab’s compliance with federal safety standards. Tesla’s robotaxi service, launched commercially in Austin in September and later extended to Dallas and Houston, has drawn analyst criticism for routing errors and long wait times, and CEO Elon Musk has warned that significant revenue from the Cybercab is unlikely before 2027. The school-zone probe mirrors earlier regulatory actions against Waymo’s robotaxi fleet for similar speed-reduction failures.