A U.S. congressman is pressing federal regulators to examine whether Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems are being dangerously misused by drivers who deliberately fall asleep behind the wheel.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois sent a letter on September 9, 2026, to the Secretary of Transportation, urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open an investigation into the abuse of Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. In his letter, the lawmaker questioned the effectiveness of Tesla’s driver attention monitoring technology and asked regulators to determine whether the systems contain safety defects that would warrant a recall.
The request follows earlier findings by NHTSA. A 2024 investigation by the agency linked this type of misuse to 467 crashes and 14 deaths. Some drivers have reportedly used methods such as wearing sunglasses to evade detection by the in-cabin camera that monitors whether a driver is paying attention.
Tesla explicitly requires drivers to remain fully attentive and supervise the vehicle at all times while its driver-assistance features are engaged. Allowing a vehicle to operate while the driver is asleep or otherwise disengaged violates those requirements and constitutes illegal behavior, according to the company’s stated policies.
The congressman’s letter reflects growing concern among lawmakers and safety advocates that partially automated driving systems may encourage complacency or outright abuse, even as automakers insist that drivers must stay in control. NHTSA has not yet announced whether it will act on the request.
