Tesla's driver assistance system is under increased scrutiny following two fatal accidents in which the vehicles came to a complete stop.
Electrek has linked two deadly freeway accidents in the US to redacted Tesla documents indicating that a driver assistance system was confirmed to be engaged while the vehicles were stationary at 0 mph in active lanes. In April, the Netherlands granted approval for FSD Supervised under UN Regulation 171, but the reasoning for this decision has been kept confidential as a trade secret, with an EU-wide vote anticipated in October.
Two Teslas were found stopped completely in active freeway lanes and were subsequently rear-ended, resulting in the deaths of both drivers; both vehicles had a driver assistance system confirmed as engaged, according to Electrek.
One incident occurred in Florida, where a 2020 Model 3 came to a halt in the central eastbound lane of I-4 in Seminole County around 9:25 PM on October 6, 2025. A semi-truck struck it, pushing it into another semi, resulting in the death of the 43-year-old driver.
The other incident happened in Arizona, involving a 2020 Model 3 that stopped on the eastbound Loop 202 in Mesa just after 3 AM on October 31, 2025. It was hit across the entire rear by a Ford F-350, as per another report.
Tesla’s submissions to the US regulator reiterated that the engagement status was confirmed as engaged, with pre-crash movement halted, and speed recorded at 0 mph.
All information that could clarify the situation has been redacted. Details such as the crash narrative, software version, and field recordings showing whether the road was within the approved operational area were classified as confidential business information, amidst complaints from owners about the vehicle taking control at the regulator.
As a result, no one outside Tesla can determine which system was in operation since Autopilot and Full Self-Driving appear indistinguishable in these documents.
This has now become a European concern rather than an American one. The Netherlands approved FSD Supervised on April 10 under UN Regulation 171 following an 18-month evaluation period and the analysis of 1.6 million kilometers of road data across Europe.
The approval is provisional for a minimum of 36 months, with Germany, France, and Italy expected to provide national recognition shortly thereafter. This made the Netherlands the first European country to certify the system. The RDW clarified that the vehicle is not self-driving and that the driver remains accountable.
The implications are significant. Should a driver disregard attention warnings, FSD will disengage and return control to the driver; if there is continued non-response, the system will initiate a controlled stop.
A controlled stop entails a stationary vehicle in an active lane. Whether this was the case in Florida and Arizona remains unverified, and the Dutch regulator has kept the reasoning behind its approval confidential at Tesla's request.
An EU-wide vote is set for October, requiring member states that represent 55% of the bloc's countries and 65% of its population to agree. Tesla has already opted to settle a fatal Full Self-Driving case rather than pursue litigation. Europe will soon vote based on evidence that very few outside the RDW have had the opportunity to review.
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Tesla's driver assistance system is under increased scrutiny following two fatal accidents in which the vehicles came to a complete stop.
Two deadly crashes in the US involved Teslas that were stationary in active lanes while the driver assistance feature was turned on. Tesla has withheld the reasons, and the Dutch report is also confidential.
