Tesla Robotaxi Speeding in School Zones? No Driver, So in My Opinion Tesla Should Get the Ticket

Tesla Robotaxis are accused of speeding through active school zones. A new defect petition reached NHTSA, the U.S. traffic safety agency, on September 23, and on October 9 the agency opened a file to decide whether to investigate, as reported by Electrek and Bloomberg. NHTSA estimates the affected fleet at about 1,000 vehicles, Model Y and Cybercab, running with Tesla’s Automated Driving System and nobody behind the wheel.

The evidence is small: three videos from social media and four incidents in NHTSA’s own records. No crashes, no injuries. Some people say that is nothing. I say it is exactly the problem.

In this article: Kids, schools, and a software fix that is not rocket science · Nobody is driving. So who gets the ticket? · “Only three videos.” Are we waiting for a crash? · Waymo fixed it. Hats off · 1,000 or 300? Why the numbers matter · “Mad Max”: rules do not seem to matter · Musk’s quote: worried about people, or about headlines? · Too fast? No. Everything is too slow · Stricter rules for cars without a driver · Why the stock did not move · FAQ

Kids, schools, and a software fix that is not rocket science

Tesla, are you joking? Why do you not recall your Robotaxis and fix the software? Is it so hard for you? You can tell us. As far as we know, fixing speed in software is not such a big science. What are you waiting for?

If nothing bad happens, fine. But if it does, you will say it was the first time. Why wait for that?

Nobody is driving. So who gets the ticket?

This is not fair at all to other drivers. I said it before, and it is true: why do I, as a driver, get a fine, and especially points, when I go over the speed limit, and for Tesla it is normal? How should all of us understand that?

The top comment under the Electrek article says it perfectly: if a driver speeds in a school zone, he gets a ticket and points, and repeated offenses can cost him his license. Tesla is now the driver of all these cars, so why should it not face the same consequences?

I already wrote about the speed tolerance in the Dutch FSD approval. But here it is worse. With FSD (Supervised), the owner picks the profile and is responsible. In a Robotaxi, there is no owner behind the wheel. When the system decides how fast to go past a school, Tesla made that decision.

Honestly, when you read news like this, you want to go to court or collect signatures, so that the same rules apply to boxes like Tesla taxis. Or let Tesla pay ten times the normal fine. We do not know who it can hit next time, when the car itself decided to go over the limit. That is scary.

“Only three videos.” Are we waiting for a crash?

Here again it is the same question about rules, about the state, and about all of us. Are we all waiting for an accident, like a new episode, this time starring a Tesla Robotaxi? We are normal people. This is a threat. One video is enough to see that it is wrong, not a few.

And then somebody says these are small facts. Well, if we keep supporting people like that, we will not get far.

Waymo fixed it. Hats off

Waymo had its own school problem. Late last year, Austin’s school district reported Waymo cars illegally passing stopped school buses about 20 times. Waymo answered with a voluntary software recall in December 2025.

I can only say: hats off. They knew it was bad, and they decided to fix it themselves. They did not let the cars keep driving. That is how it should be done. Why are companies like this not everywhere, and why do we hear so little about them? Tesla, on the other hand, is more and more in a risky zone for all the rest of us. And we only watch nobody hurry to do anything.

1,000 or 300? Why the numbers matter

Tesla does not disclose how many Robotaxis it runs. NHTSA now estimates about 1,000, the first federal number. Tesla itself said on Saturday it has more than 300 Cybercabs in Austin, and Electrek notes NHTSA may be counting cars registered in Texas, not all of them active.

Why keep the number quiet? This is only my speculation. Maybe it is simply easier if something serious happens: if fines or fixes are counted per car, 300 cars sound much better than 1,000. I do not know. But in my opinion, when a company keeps quiet about numbers like this, it is not by accident.

“Mad Max”: rules do not seem to matter

In October 2025, NHTSA opened an investigation into Full Self-Driving over things like running red lights and driving into the wrong lane. A week later, Tesla shipped a “Mad Max” FSD profile that ignores speed limits.

In my opinion, that shows rules do not matter to them. For years, this company does what it wants, and nobody punishes it. They seem sure nobody will ever have any influence. Just think about it: nobody hurries to regulate. Everything will be solved maybe next year. Until then, they can fix everything according to their plan and say: look, our cars are clean, it was just a system glitch.

When I do something, the fine comes right away. And for them, somebody first has to prove something. That is really absurd. Is that fair to all of us?

Musk’s quote: worried about people, or about headlines?

On Tesla’s July earnings call, Musk said: “If we injure even one person, it will be worldwide headline news.”

In my opinion, that is arrogance like the world has rarely seen. Not that he is afraid his taxi will hurt somebody and he has to solve it, but that it will be news number one. For me, it is a game with our lives, and the only fear is that somebody will damage his image.

Mr. Musk, you have billions, and for many of us, it does not matter at all. I am sure a lot of people would be glad if somebody finally brought you back down to earth, and made you behave fairly toward other people, not only the way you want.

Too fast? No. Everything is too slow

Is Tesla pushing Robotaxis too fast? No. Rather, everything else is slowed down and unacceptably long. NHTSA has 120 days, until around January 21, 2027, just to decide whether to investigate. Why did they not give an order to take these boxes on four wheels off the road, fix them, and let the whole world know what problem these cars have?

Stricter rules for cars without a driver

The Robotaxis drive in Texas. I am curious which times will be “milder”. And yes, cars without a driver must have stricter rules. I do not know how this technology can react in a year or two. It is still only technology with a robotic brain, nothing more.

Why the stock did not move

Tesla shares barely moved after the news. Because everyone thinks only about money. More and more, rich people do not care about us. Everyone only wants to know how his portfolio grows. So why should anybody do anything? Better to stay quiet, not speak, and the stock stays at the same level. That is the principle of the market. End of story.

Featured photo: Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla Robotaxi school zone: FAQ

Is NHTSA investigating Tesla Robotaxis for speeding in school zones?

Not yet. NHTSA opened a defect petition, DP26010, on October 9, 2026, to decide whether to open a formal investigation into claims that Tesla Robotaxis exceed speed limits in active school zones.

How many Tesla Robotaxis are affected?

NHTSA estimates about 1,000 model year 2026 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. Tesla does not disclose its Robotaxi fleet size.

What evidence is in the petition?

Three social media videos and four incidents in NHTSA’s records. No crashes, injuries or deaths were reported.

When will NHTSA decide?

Federal rules give NHTSA 120 days from receiving the petition on September 23, which puts the deadline around January 21, 2027. A formal investigation could end in a recall.

Did Waymo have a similar problem?

Yes. Austin’s school district reported Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses about 20 times, and Waymo issued a voluntary software recall in December 2025.

Sources: Electrek, Bloomberg, Benzinga, NHTSA (DP26010).

Our Take

A Robotaxi has no driver, so in my opinion Tesla is the driver. If a person gets a fine and points for speeding near a school, Tesla should face the same, or stricter rules.

Three videos are enough. Do not wait for a crash. Waymo fixed its school bus problem itself. Tesla can fix speed in software too.

And the slow regulators and the silent stock market show who this system really protects.