Tesla has quietly adjusted its driver monitoring system (DMS) in the latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) software update, making it less sensitive to brief driver glances away from the road. The change was noticed by users soon after the rollout of FSD version 13.2.9 (2025.14.6) for vehicles equipped with Tesla’s Hardware 4 (HW4).
The update, which was not detailed in the official release notes, was confirmed by Tesla’s Vice President of Autopilot AI, Ashok Elluswamy, who described the adjustment as “much needed.” The DMS uses an inward-facing camera to track driver attention and has faced criticism for issuing warnings or FSD “strikes” for minor actions such as adjusting the touchscreen or changing climate controls. Accumulated strikes can temporarily suspend FSD access.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged during the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call that the system was overly sensitive, leading some drivers to disengage FSD to make minor adjustments, a practice he said reduced overall safety. Musk said Tesla plans to gradually relax the DMS sensitivity further as the company approaches the launch of FSD Unsupervised, a feature intended to allow hands-free and potentially sleep-mode driving.
“So right now, the car is very insistent that you pay attention to the road, which reduces the value somewhat because it’s very rigorous about you paying attention,” Musk said. “We’ll gradually lighten up on that… so you can do things you want without the car managing your attention.”
For now, the reduced sensitivity applies only to HW4-equipped vehicles. Owners of older Tesla hardware versions will have to wait for future updates to receive similar changes. The move reflects Tesla’s ongoing efforts to balance safety and usability in its autonomous driving technology.
Source: Not A Tesla App
