A Tesla Model Y operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode failed to stop for a stationary school bus during a demonstration in Texas on June 16, 2025, striking child-sized dummies.
Advocacy groups The Dawn Project, Tesla Takedown, and ResistAustin report that the incident, captured on video, has reignited concerns about autonomous vehicle safety.
Advocacy groups conducted the test, which replicated a school bus scenario eight times. The Tesla Model Y ignored the bus’s flashing lights and stop signs. Video footage showed the vehicle colliding with mannequins representing children. Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) system requires active driver oversight, with warnings escalating if the driver fails to respond, potentially leading to serious injury or death, per Tesla’s guidelines.
Tesla was not involved in the demonstration, but its FSD technology has faced scrutiny before. In April 2024, a Tesla Model S using FSD was involved in a fatal crash in Washington State, killing a motorcyclist, as reported by Reuters. The Dawn Project, led by Dan O’Dowd, who develops competing driver-assistance software, has long criticised Tesla’s FSD, highlighting perceived flaws through public campaigns.
Read: Tesla Stock Plunges 14% Amid Trump-Musk Feud, Wiping Out $153 Billion
The incident coincides with anticipation for Tesla’s Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle initially planned for June 22, 2025. CEO Elon Musk recently suggested a delay to June 28, emphasising safety: “We’re being super paranoid about safety,” he said on X. The Texas test has intensified debates about whether current autonomous tech meets safety standards, with X users expressing concern over FSD’s reliability.
The demonstration underscores critical safety challenges in autonomous driving, particularly for vulnerable scenarios like school buses. As Tesla pushes for full autonomy, public trust hinges on robust safety measures.
