Tesla's supervised self-driving system often misreads speed limits, Belgian safety group finds

On September 24, a Belgian safety group revealed that Tesla's FSD automated-driving system often disregards speed limits, attempting to overtake cyclists on prohibited roads. The Johanna.be advocacy group conducted tests over three days in July, covering around 400 kilometers. The tests found that FSD exceeded speed limits in 20 km/h and 30 km/h zones, and falsely displayed higher limits to drivers, which could mislead them on the vehicle's speed.

Tesla's FSD driver-assistance feature can handle most driving tasks, but requires drivers to stay alert. The Dutch regulator RDW approved the system in April, followed by Belgium and a few other countries. An EU-wide vote is slated for October 6, with several European nations, such as Sweden, expressing concerns over FSD exceeding speed limits.

Tesla and RDW have not commented on the matter. Earlier this month, Tesla claimed that FSD-enabled Teslas do not drive excessively fast and match surrounding traffic. However, Xavier Lesenne, spokesperson for the Flemish government’s transportation ministry, stated that FSD is a learning system that adapts over time, and the driver remains fully responsible, always ready to intervene if the system makes an error or fails to apply traffic rules correctly.

Data from Tesla revealed that the technology can prevent accidents today. Johanna.be noted that FSD exceeded the limit in most of the 30 km/h road segments around Brussels, averaging 44 km/h. Even though the screen showed the system recognized 30 km/h speed-limit signs, it often showed an incorrect limit of 50 km/h. The report also highlighted videos showing FSD-enabled Teslas attempting to overtake cyclists on streets where it is not allowed.

The European Transport Safety Council has previously expressed concerns about FSD's ability to comply with varying road rules across Europe. Despite the documented failures in complying with speed limits and cycle-street regulations, the NGO believes the system's cautious behavior around pedestrians and cyclists outweighs the issues. The NGO urged the Flemish ministry and RDW to reassess their approvals.