Newly disclosed information submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shed light on at least two instances since July 2025 where Tesla Robotaxis were involved in minor collisions while under the remote control of a human teleoperator. Both incidents occurred in Austin, Texas, at low speeds, with a safety monitor present behind the wheel and no passengers on board.

These revelations follow Tesla’s previous statements to lawmakers, where the company outlined its protocol for allowing remote operators to pilot vehicles at speeds under 10 miles per hour. This capability, according to Tesla, is designed to facilitate the prompt repositioning of a vehicle in a compromising situation, reducing the need for first responders or field representatives to intervene manually. However, the recently unredacted data details how this remote assistance led to unintended contact with external objects.

In one incident from July 2025, shortly after Tesla’s network began operations in Austin, the automated driving system (ADS) encountered difficulty moving forward from a stop. A teleoperator then assumed control, gradually accelerating and attempting a left turn, which resulted in the vehicle driving up a curb and striking a metal fence. A similar sequence unfolded in January 2026; with the ADS navigating a straight path, the safety monitor requested assistance. The teleoperator took over, proceeding straight, and the Tesla vehicle collided with a temporary construction barricade at approximately 9 MPH, causing scrapes to the front-left fender and tire.

This week marks a significant shift in Tesla’s transparency, as the company, which previously redacted crash descriptions as confidential business information, has now unredacted narratives for all 17 Robotaxi crashes recorded since last year. While many of these newly revealed incidents involve Robotaxis being struck by other vehicles, the data also describes instances of Tesla vehicles clipping mirrors, hitting a dog that subsequently ran away, and colliding with a metal chain during an unprotected left turn into a parking lot. These detailed accounts may offer insight into why Tesla, despite operating at a smaller scale compared to competitors like Waymo and Zoox, has been cautious in expanding its nascent autonomous ride-hailing network, a sentiment echoed by CEO Elon Musk, who has emphasized safety as the primary limiting factor.