Tesla allowed to let driver-assistance system deviate by up to 10 per cent
The RDW approves an update, but the driver remains fully responsible for driving.
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The RDW has approved changes to Tesla’s FSD Supervised driver-assistance system. The adjustable speed margin is being reduced from a maximum of 50 per cent to a maximum of 10 per cent above the applicable limit; when the system starts, the deviation is set to zero by default.
The Dutch vehicle authority published the approval on Tuesday. Tesla is simultaneously changing the name of FSD Supervised to Tesla Assisted Driving, abbreviated as TAD. According to the RDW, the new name will appear on the car’s screen, in the manual and in other information for drivers.
The update applies to Tesla models with Tesla Assisted Driving and hardware version 4.0 or higher. According to the RDW, the software will be offered wirelessly. The regulator says the system’s operation is not changing as a result of the name change.
The main substantive change concerns the speed margin. The driver can set how much the system may deviate from the speed limit when the manufacturer considers this necessary for safety and traffic flow. The margin was a maximum of 50 per cent and is being limited to 10 per cent.
When the car is started, the margin is set to zero per cent deviation. Other speed-related functions are then disabled by default. The RDW says it checked the implementation of the changes and the system’s behaviour and found no adverse or unintended effects.
The approval does not mean that Tesla’s system drives independently. The RDW calls TAD a driver-assistance system and emphasises that the driver remains responsible for the driving task. The European approval procedure is also still under way within the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles; discussions about it are confidential.
The change concerns the name and speed settings of the driver-assistance system within an existing type approval. The RDW says that type approval remains valid for the same use and under the same conditions. Other European member states that have adopted the type approval have been informed about the changes.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
All technical details were checked against the RDW publication of 3 November. The text makes clear that this concerns driver assistance, not autonomous driving.
- confirmed The speed margin is being reduced from a maximum of 50 to a maximum of 10 per cent. — The RDW explicitly mentions both figures. source
- confirmed The margin is set to zero per cent by default when the car is started. — The RDW describes this default setting. source
- confirmed The driver remains responsible for driving. — The RDW calls TAD a driver-assistance system and places responsibility with the driver. source
Editor's note
The technical changes and the remaining European procedure are based on the RDW publication. The second source was used as an independent summary; the RDW remains the primary source.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „tesla rdw”
- NRC — „tesla rdw”
- Tweakers — „tesla rdw”