Tesla robotaxi videos show speeding, driving into wrong lane

Tesla Inc.’s self-driving taxis appeared to violate traffic laws during the company’s first day offering paid rides, with one customer capturing footage of a left turn gone wrong and others traveling in cars that exceeded posted speed limits.

In a video taken by Rob Maurer, an investor who used to host a Tesla podcast, the Model Y he’s riding in enters an Austin, Texas, intersection in a left-turn-only lane. The Tesla hesitates to make the turn, swerves right and proceeds into an unoccupied lane meant for traffic moving in the opposite direction.

A honking horn can be heard as the Tesla re-enters the correct lane over a double-yellow line, which drivers aren’t supposed to cross.

In two other posts on X, initial riders in driverless Model Ys shared footage of Teslas speeding. A vehicle carrying Sawyer Merritt, a Tesla investor, reached 35 mph shortly after passing a 30 mph speed limit sign, a video he posted shows.

In a separate live stream from Herbert Ong, a YouTuber with more than 123,000 subscribers, he commented that the vehicle was going faster than the posted limit of 35 mph.

“It’s going at 39 right now, which is perfect, right, because I don’t want to drive at 35, and it’s driving at the same flow of traffic,” Ong said. “If everyone else is driving at this speed, you want to be at the same speed.”

Representatives for Tesla, the Austin Police Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the videos. The automaker recalled more than 362,000 vehicles in February 2023 after NHTSA said its driver-assistance system may allow cars to infringe on local traffic laws.

Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk celebrated the start of Tesla’s robotaxi operations on Sunday, congratulating employees for what he said was a successful launch. Tesla shares jumped as much as 11% on Monday, their biggest intraday jump since April 9.