Congressman presses DOT on Tesla FSD after 43 sleeping-driver videos

This story is about car safety, not home energy upgrades, but here's the gist. A US congressman, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, has given the Department of Transportation until September 30 to answer questions about Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems after an NBC News investigation found 43 videos of drivers who appear to be asleep while the cars were moving. Tesla itself says these systems require a driver to stay alert and are not fully autonomous.

The letter connects those videos to a federal safety investigation already underway. Highway safety regulators (NHTSA) are examining roughly 3.2 million Teslas equipped with FSD, in a probe that's one step short of a possible recall. That investigation has already tied nine incidents, including one death, to the system. The congressman also criticized a message Tesla's cars show when drowsiness is detected — "Stay focused with FSD" — arguing it encourages continued use rather than telling the driver to stop.

Owners have reportedly found simple ways to fool the car's driver-monitoring camera, such as covering it or wearing sunglasses. The letter asks regulators what they know about this, how well the monitoring actually works, and what evidence would be enough to trigger a recall. This has no direct bearing on home energy projects, but it's a reminder that any EV you might charge from solar or home power comes with separate, ongoing safety questions about its driver-assist features.