Texas Lawmakers Want More Control of the Tesla Robotaxis on Their Roads

As a small number of Tesla robotaxis continue to pick up and drop off a select few Tesla influencers in Austin, Texas, a state legislator who represents part of the electric automakers' limited service area says she's concerned the cars' driving is "less reliable" than the typical human driver. Videos posted online show some "moving violations" that "could be very serious," state senator Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat who represents Texas' 14th district, told WIRED in an interview. "My constituency is particularly tech savvy and excited about this [autonomous vehicle] technology, but my constituency is also very concerned about public safety, and we can hit the right balance." Last week, as the hours before the debut of Tesla's robotaxi service ticked down, Eckhardt was one of seven Texas Democratic lawmakers who sent a letter to Tesla field quality director Eddie Gates asking the company to delay its plans to launch. Texas has for years had loose rules and oversight around autonomous vehicle operations, making it an attractive place for tech developers to test and launch.