The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. government’s main agency for automotive safety, has started an investigation into Tesla’s decision to put its new Cybercab on public roads without a steering wheel or pedals. The probe was announced on Friday, following Tesla’s deployment of the first Cybercabs in Austin, Texas. Under current federal vehicle safety rules, cars must have manual controls like brake pedals, but the Department of Transportation recently suggested removing these requirements for fully autonomous vehicles. Tesla told the NHTSA that it self-certified the Cybercab as meeting all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Most automakers are allowed to self-certify their vehicles, meaning they assess whether their cars meet the required safety standards without needing external approval. However, the NHTSA has indicated it wants to look into how Tesla made its certification decisions. The agency said it will examine the process and technical data Tesla used to determine that the Cybercab complies with FMVSS rules. A key focus of the investigation is whether Tesla’s certification relied on the idea that certain safety standards do not apply to the Cybercab. For example, some rules are designed for vehicles with traditional controls, and Tesla may have argued that those rules are unnecessary for a fully autonomous car. The NHTSA aims to assess the validity of these claims and whether they could compromise safety. This is an ongoing situation, and more details may emerge as the investigation continues. The outcome could influence how autonomous vehicles are regulated in the future and whether the absence of traditional controls is acceptable under current safety laws.