New Bill Could Force Tesla to Limit Full Self-Driving
▼ Summary
– Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey introduced a bill requiring Tesla and other automakers to restrict their advanced driving systems to specific, pre-defined road types or conditions.
– The bill, called the Stay in Your Lane Act, is largely aimed at Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, which currently operates on many road types without such geographic or weather-related restrictions.
– The legislation would mandate that manufacturers define a safe “operational design domain” for their systems and restrict the technology’s use to that domain.
– It grants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration authority to investigate or fine companies that operate outside their defined domains or define them too broadly.
– As a Democratic bill in a Republican-controlled Congress, its passage is currently unlikely but could become more feasible if political control shifts after the midterm elections.
A new legislative proposal in the United States seeks to impose significant restrictions on advanced driver-assistance systems, potentially forcing companies like Tesla to dramatically scale back where their technology can be used. The Stay in Your Lane Act, introduced by Senator Ed Markey, would mandate that automakers clearly define and restrict their systems to specific operational design domains, a move that directly challenges Tesla’s current approach with its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software.
The core of the bill focuses on operational design domains (ODDs), which are the specific conditions, such as certain road types or weather situations, where an automated system is designed to function. Currently, many Level 2 systems, including General Motors’ Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise, are already limited to pre-mapped highways. This legislation would transform that voluntary industry practice into a federal requirement. Companies would be forced to establish a safe ODD for their technology and ensure the vehicle’s systems cannot operate outside of those defined parameters.
Senator Markey’s office explicitly frames the bill as a response to immediate safety concerns. “Self-driving cars aren’t a danger of the distant future, they are a pressing safety threat today,” Markey stated. He argues that some automakers are deploying features “without responsible limitations on when and where they can be used, leading to avoidable injuries and deaths.” The proposed law aims to ensure these systems only function in conditions they are proven to handle safely.
This legislation represents a clear challenge to Tesla’s strategy. Unlike its competitors, Tesla allows its FSD (Supervised) beta software to operate on virtually any road, from city streets to residential neighborhoods, with minimal geographic restrictions. Under the Stay in Your Lane Act, Tesla would likely be compelled to restrict its system to a much narrower set of roads, such as limited-access highways, which the company itself would need to define as its official safe operational domain.
Enforcement would be streamlined under the proposal. Instead of initiating a lengthy new rulemaking process, the bill would grant the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) clear statutory authority. NHTSA could then investigate and fine manufacturers that either allow their systems to operate outside their declared ODD or define that domain “too broadly” for safe operation. This creates a direct mechanism for holding companies accountable.
The political pathway for the bill, however, is uncertain. As Democratic-sponsored legislation in a Republican-controlled Congress, it faces significant hurdles to becoming law. Its prospects could improve substantially if political control of Congress shifts following the upcoming midterm elections, but for now, its future remains an open question. The proposal nonetheless signals growing legislative scrutiny over the rapid deployment of automated driving technologies and sets a potential regulatory benchmark for the entire industry.
(Source: The Verge)
