Congressman Presses NHTSA Over Footage of 43 Tesla Drivers Allegedly Asleep at the Wheel

A U.S. lawmaker is pushing federal regulators to respond to a viral compilation showing dozens of Tesla owners apparently asleep while their vehicles were operating on public roads. According to InsideEVs, the video features 43 separate instances of drivers seemingly unconscious behind the wheel, raising fresh questions about how Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance features are being used in the real world.

The concern centers on Full Self-Driving, a system that Tesla markets as capable of handling many driving tasks but that still requires an attentive human driver ready to take over. Safety advocates argue that repeated clips of inattentive motorists suggest the technology’s safeguards are not doing enough to prevent misuse.

The congressman is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate the matter and consider whether additional oversight or rulemaking is needed. NHTSA has previously opened inquiries into crashes involving Tesla’s driver-assistance software, though no new enforcement action tied to this specific footage has been announced.

Tesla has not issued a detailed public response to the compilation. The episode adds to an ongoing debate over how much responsibility falls on drivers, manufacturers and regulators when semi-automated systems are used outside their intended limits.