Envision this. You’re in Austin, Texas, where the Tesla autonomous robotaxi service is accessible to the public. You call a Tesla robotaxi to try out the service. After all, it’s a self-driving vehicle! You’re stepping into the future.

However, the Tesla robotaxi shows up with a human in the driver’s position.

This is the present situation as Tesla adjusts to Texas’s new driverless vehicle laws.

On Elon Musk’s social media platform X, a response from Tesla’s robotaxi service to a user explained that some robotaxis now need a human “safety monitor” in the driver’s seat for specific trips.

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“Safety monitors sit in the driver’s seat only for trips involving highway driving, as a self-imposed careful initial step towards expanding to highways,” remarked the official Tesla Robotaxi account.

In essence, human safety monitors are required in a Tesla robotaxi to oversee the driverless vehicle, verify that the software operates properly, and step in if necessary. Generally, the safety monitor is in the passenger seat.

Nonetheless, according to Texas’s new regulations, if a customer requests the robotaxi to drive on highways, the safety monitor must be in the driver’s seat during the journey.

Texas SB 2807, which took effect on Sept. 1, creates a detailed regulatory framework for fully autonomous vehicles. This legislation requires a human operator inside a driverless vehicle unless it is classified by the state as Level 4 or higher autonomy.

As Gizmodo highlights, the Society of Automotive Engineers characterizes Level 4 autonomy as a vehicle capable of operating without a human “under specific conditions, such as within a geofenced zone or on particular routes.”

Even though Tesla markets its autonomous system as “Full Self Driving,” Texas only ranks it as Level 2, which demands human supervision at all times.

Once Tesla’s robotaxi service commenced in Austin in June, it took about a week for riders to start sharing alarming stories about the driverless experience. Customers reported instances of the robotaxis traveling in the incorrect lane, striking a curb, and suddenly braking in the middle of a road without cause.

Musk had advocated for a Tesla robotaxi service for at least ten years before it eventually debuted to the public in one U.S. city this year. Despite the necessity for human safety monitors and other complications, Musk recently expressed his belief that the robotaxi service will be accessible to approximately half the U.S. populace by the end of 2025.