The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday it is seeking additional information from Tesla about a new driver assistance feature called “Mad Max,” which reportedly allows vehicles to operate more aggressively and at higher speeds than other Full Self-Driving (FSD) modes.
The agency said it had received reports suggesting that Tesla vehicles using the mode can travel above posted speed limits. “NHTSA is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency said in a statement, reiterating that “the human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws.”
See also: Tesla Introduces ‘Mad Max’ Driving Profile in Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Version 14.1.2
Earlier this month, NHTSA opened a separate investigation into 2.9 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD, citing dozens of reports of crashes and traffic-safety violations. The agency said it is reviewing 58 reports of safety concerns related to FSD, including 14 crashes that resulted in 23 injuries.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the company last week reposted a social media message describing “Mad Max” mode as enabling faster acceleration and lane changes “through traffic at an incredible pace, all while still being super smooth.”
See also: Tesla Plans “FSD 14 Lite” for Legacy Model Y Owners with Hardware 3.0 by 2026
NHTSA has previously stated that Tesla’s FSD system — which requires driver supervision — has in some cases “induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws,” including six reports of vehicles running red lights and colliding with other cars.
Tesla markets FSD as a driver assistance feature that can navigate most roads with minimal human input but emphasizes that it does not make vehicles fully autonomous. NHTSA has been investigating the system since 2023, including a probe launched in October 2024 into 2.4 million vehicles following collisions in low-visibility conditions.
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