Sens. Markey and Blumenthal Introduce New Safety Legislation for Self-Driving Cars

Senator Markey: "Self-driving cars aren't a danger of the distant future-they are a pressing safety threat today."

Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF)

Washington (December 17, 2025) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced the Stay in Your Lane Act, legislation that would prohibit self-driving technology in cars from operating outside the road conditions and environment in which they were designed.

While most manufacturers restrict their self-driving vehicles to pre-mapped roads such as highways, some vehicle manufacturers-including Tesla-allow their driving technology to operate in any road conditions, including complex city streets with cross traffic, pedestrians, and school buses, endangering their passengers and the traveling public.

"Self-driving cars aren't a danger of the distant future-they are a pressing safety threat today," said Senator Markey. "Too often, certain car companies are rolling out autonomous driving features without responsible limitations on when and where they can be used, leading to avoidable injuries and deaths. My Stay in Your Lane Act would help keep the public safe by ensuring self-driving cars only operate in the road conditions that the system is smart enough to handle."

"This critical legislation ensures that so-called self-driving cars only operate on the roads for which they were designed-prioritizing the safety of all Americans. Technological advancements in our vehicles must be accompanied by enforceable guardrails and protections to keep our roads are safe and prevent avoidable tragedies. With the Stay in Your Lane Act, we bolster safety requirements to better safeguard the American public and hold car manufacturers accountable for complying with those requirements," said Senator Blumenthal.

Recent events spotlight the dangers of self-driving technology equipped on personal vehicles. California recently ordered Tesla to stop selling vehicles in the state for its deceptive marketing practice of overstating Autopilot's driving abilities. In August, Tesla was ordered to pay $240 million for the role Autopilot played in a fatal crash in Florida-a historic precedent to hold self-driving car companies accountable. In the last few years, Autopilot has been implicated in dozens of fatal crashes.

Specifically, the Stay in Your Lane Act would:

• Require manufacturers to define roads and driving conditions in which their autonomous driving systems are safe and designed to operate;
• Require manufacturers to prohibit their autonomous driving systems from operating outside those road and driving conditions; and
• Authorize the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to hold car companies accountable for failing to comply with those requirements.

The Stay in Your Lane Act is endorsed by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Center for Auto Safety, the National Consumers League, the Transport Workers Union, and the League of American Bicyclists.

"More cars are being equipped with automated driving systems with varying levels of self-driving capability, yet there is no assurance the systems will "drive" safely. Some reports have even noted them crashing into first responder vehicles, entering roadway construction zones and blocking firehouse driveways which is unacceptable and unsafe. The Stay in Your Lane Act prioritizes public safety by ensuring these vehicles operate under conditions and roadway scenarios for which they have been designed to safely do so. By compelling accountability, the Stay in Your Lane Act helps protect all road users. We commend Senators Markey and Blumenthal for their longstanding safety leadership and urge Congress to advance this essential legislation," said Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

"Automotive innovation should be guided by a simple principle: if a vehicle cannot be safely operated, then it should not be operated at all," said Daniel Greene, the Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League. "The Stay in Your Lane Act ensures that partially and fully autonomous vehicles only operate in conditions for which they are designed to be safe. This commonsense legislation will prevent the improper use of unproven technologies on our nation's roadways, reducing the risk of fatalities and injuries. The National Consumers League applauds Senator Markey and the bill's cosponsors for championing this vital legislation."

Senator Markey is a longtime advocate of comprehensive vehicle safety measures. In September 2025, Senators Markey and Blumenthal wrote to NHTSA urging the agency to investigate concerning reports of Tesla Full-Self Drive driving dangerously around railroad crossings. NHTSA later opened an investigation into the issue. In April 2024, Senators Markey and Blumenthal led their colleagues in a letter urging NHTSA to be highly cautious about letting autonomous vehicles onto public roads. Shortly after the letter, NHTSA opened an investigation into Tesla's dangerous autopilot system. The senators issued a statement praising the Biden administration's investigation.

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