Tesla Robotaxi – Newly unredacted NHTSA submissions describe two Austin, Texas low-speed crashes in which a teleoperator remotely took over Tesla’s Robotaxi while no passengers were onboard—an episode that comes after Tesla previously told lawmakers remote driving is limited t
The teleoperator wasn’t just watching. In both incidents, Tesla’s remote assistance step-in happened while the vehicle was already in a problematic state—and the Robotaxi still ended up hitting obstacles in Austin, Texas.
Newly unredacted information submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describes at least two Tesla Robotaxi crashes since July 2025. each occurring at low speeds.. In each case. a safety monitor was behind the wheel. no passengers were onboard. and remote control was used by a teleoperator.
The timing matters.. Tesla had previously told lawmakers that it allows remote operators to pilot a vehicle only if they keep it under 10 miles per hour.. In language shared with lawmakers earlier. the company argued that remote capability lets it “promptly move a vehicle that may be in a compromising position. ” reducing the need to wait for a first responder or Tesla’s own field recovery team.
This week’s disclosure shifts the focus from policy to what happened on the road.. Tesla had long redacted narrative details about its crashes, citing confidentiality.. But the latest NHTSA update includes narrative descriptions for all 17 crashes Tesla has recorded since last year with its nascent Robotaxi network. suggesting a change in how much the company will say publicly.
The first Austin incident dates to July 2025, shortly after Tesla began operating the Robotaxi network in the city.. Tesla’s automated driving system (ADS) appeared to have trouble moving forward while stopped on a street.. The safety monitor asked for help from Tesla’s remote assistance team.. Then. a teleoperator “took over vehicle control and gradually increased vehicle speed and turned the Tesla ADS left toward the left side of the street.”
That remote intervention was followed by impact: the teleoperator “drove up the curb and made contact with a metal fence.”
A second crash surfaced in January 2026.. Again, the pattern began with the ADS needing support.. Tesla’s safety monitor “requested support to assist with vehicle navigation. ” at which point the teleoperator took control “when the ADS was stopped and proceeded straight on the street.” In that case. the vehicle contacted a temporary barricade at a construction site at approximately 9MPH. scraping the front-left fender and tire.
Beyond the remote-control takeovers. the newly released crash narratives also show that many of Tesla’s Robotaxi incidents resemble what other robotaxi operators have reported: other vehicles. infrastructure. or hazards get hit.. The unredacted materials state that in a September 2025 crash. a Tesla Robotaxi’s ADS was unable to avoid hitting a dog that ran into the street. and Tesla reported that the dog was able to run away.
In another September 2025 incident, the Robotaxi made an unprotected left turn into a parking lot and ran into a metal chain.
Those details arrive as Tesla is still operating its Robotaxi network at a smaller scale than rivals.. The unredacted NHTSA material also comes shortly after Elon Musk told investors and reporters that network expansion is tightly constrained by safety work.. Musk said last month that “making sure things are completely safe” is the biggest limiting factor to Tesla expanding the network. and that the company is being “very cautious.”
The disclosures may help explain why Tesla’s rollout has stayed slow even as robotaxi competitors continue operating more broadly.. In the NHTSA narratives now being released. the remote assistance layer is no longer just a theoretical safeguard—it is part of the story in how these low-speed crashes unfolded.
Tesla Robotaxi NHTSA teleoperator remote assistance Austin crashes autonomous driving ADS Full Self-Driving safety monitor robotaxi incidents
So the robot didn’t crash… it was remote controlled? That sounds worse lol.
I don’t get how they can say it’s limited to 10 mph if it’s still hitting stuff. Like if there’s no passengers, why do we even need a teleoperator? Seems like Tesla trying to cover something up.
Wait, safety monitor was behind the wheel but still remote took over? So who’s actually driving, the guy in the car or the person on the screen? I saw a headline about Robotaxi “remote control” before and I’m pretty sure it’s basically cheating the whole automation part.
Remote driving under 10 mph but it still hit obstacles in Austin… okay, so is Austin just full of obstacles or is the system failing and they’re calling it “compromising position”?? And only 17 crashes since last year like that’s not a lot? I feel like they’ll say “confidentiality” then suddenly unredact everything when it’s convenient.