Tesla brings back "Mad Max" full self-driving mode that ignores speed limits

[midian182]

WTF?! What do you do if your electric vehicle company is under constant scrutiny from regulators over its safety record and dealing with multiple wrongful death lawsuits? If you're Tesla, it's to bring back "Mad Max" mode for the Full Self Driving System that breaks speed limits and adds more frequent lane changes.

After releasing the FSD v14 update last week that included a Sloth Mode for those who prefer to drive at a less life-threatening speed, Tesla has now released FSD v14.1.2, which features the antithesis of Sloth Mode: Mad Max.

As reported by Electrek, this isn't the first appearance of the Mel Gibson/Tom Hardy character for Tesla. Mad Max Mode was first introduced as part of Autopilot in 2018, before FSD. At the time, Elon Musk said it would offer more aggressive lane changes and could navigate more challenge traffic situations. Rather than being used to deal with Lord Humungus/Immortan Joe, Musk mentioned the mode being ideal for use in Los Angeles.

It seems that the new Mad Max Mode has a similar disregard for the rules of the road. Within 24 hours of launch, it has already been spotted rolling stop signs and driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit.

Tesla is facing, or has recently faced, a number of lawsuits and regulatory actions related to its Autopilot/FSD systems. These include a class action over misleading claims and false advertising claims from the California DMV.

There was also a lawsuit in Florida that saw a federal jury award $243 million in damages for a 2019 crash of a Model S with Autopilot engaged. It was one of several similar suits that have been brought against the EV giant.

Tesla's FSD/Autopilot and related systems have been subject to several NHTSA investigations. In 2024, a report from the NHTSA linked Tesla's Autopilot systems to nearly 1,000 crashes from the last few years, over two dozen of them fatal.

Tesla's official materials consistently emphasize that FSD is a supervised assistance system, not full autonomy, and that the driver must remain engaged. The company's official position is that the human driver retains ultimate responsibility – to stay attentive, keep hands on the wheel, be ready to intervene, control speed, and not treat the system as "self-driving," despite the system's name.

According to Slingshot Strategies' Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report for August, which surveyed more than 8,000 Americans, only 14% of consumers say FSD makes them more likely to buy a Tesla vehicle. About a third of participants (35%) said it makes them less likely to do so, while 51% said it makes no difference.

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Tesla brings back "Mad Max" full self-driving mode that ignores speed limits

 

[VitalyT]

Is that because Tesla self-drive mode wasn't suicidal enough?

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Is that because Tesla self-drive mode wasn't suicidal enough?

It’s actually the opposite. Safety interventions under v14 are essentially zero (except when dealing with a specific parking situation). As far as I can tell, it only speeds when it’s safe with clear roads to do so, and furthermore the rules of the road demand that it’s important to follow the flow of traffic, and that’s just one reason it may be legal to speed.

Anyways, drivers get to choose what mode FSD Supervised is engaged in, which means they’re choosing the speed they want to go (including whether they want to go well over the speed limit). This software is a limited beta release rollout and its driving behavior will be inevitably be adjusted as a result. In fact, this version that introduced Mad Max came just a week after v14 was released.

I also couldn’t find any examples of FSD rolling through stop signs, and I think it’s premature to report that it is happening. There’s no source for that, and if it is happening then it’s a bug or (more likely) an old video.

What’s particular to note is that TechSpot is covering news of Mad Max while ignoring news about the rest of v14. So far, I’ve ONLY seen full videos of drives without safety interventions (except parking where there is a chain blocking access). Drivers using v14 are literally not touching any controls at all except for inputting the destination. That’s FAR more newsworthy than this.

 

[Billybobjoey]

it has already been spotted rolling stop signs and driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit.

So, if you get ticketed, is Tesla gonna pay for it? All the person in the driver's seat did was enable the mode, they aren't technically the one driving. Nah, you probably waive that away on page 1,276 of the terms and conditions everyone totally reads all of...

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

So, if you get ticketed, is Tesla gonna pay for it? All the person in the driver's seat did was enable the mode, they aren't technically the one driving. Nah, you probably waive that away on page 1,276 of the terms and conditions everyone totally reads all of...

It’s in the literal name of the feature: Full Self-Driving (Supervised)

https://www.tesla.com/fsd

 

[TommyBoyFL]

You can set the max speed in autopilot settings. I have mine set to max 10% beyond speed limit. The different modes dictate how aggressively you change lanes and likelihood of reaching max set speed.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

You can set the max speed in autopilot settings. I have mine set to max 10% beyond speed limit. The different modes dictate how aggressively you change lanes and likelihood of reaching max set speed.

That only applies to Autopilot and FSD before v14. With the upcoming v14 FSD, there so far hasn't been a way to set max speed and you can only choose one of four driving modes (with parking choices too):

 

[Billybobjoey]

It’s in the literal name of the feature: Full Self-Driving (Supervised)

https://www.tesla.com/fsd

Seems pretty dumb to allow people to turn on a mode to get them fined (or worse), is what I was getting at.

 

[TommyBoyFL]

Seems pretty dumb to allow people to turn on a mode to get them fined (or worse), is what I was getting at.

well by that logic all cars should be limited to the speed limit and forced to come to a full and complete stop.

Individuals are still in control at all times and people will do what people will do regardless.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Seems pretty dumb to allow people to turn on a mode to get them fined (or worse), is what I was getting at.

They're licensed drivers sitting behind the wheel. What possible reason would FSD require the driver to pay attention if the driver wasn't the responsible party?

Also, in the US speeding is extremely common and going the speed limit itself is considered slow (even semi-truck drivers will pass you). Yet there is a mode for that. To me, this mode appears to be the least safe in the videos I've seen of FSD v14 highway driving. Mad Max, while fast, is typically only slightly faster than the rest of traffic.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Based. Speed li.its are mainly for revenue generation anyway, especially on highways. Little towns LOVE those speed traps.

 

[Anton Longshot]

Never got the concepts involved in FSD whether Tesla can actually make it work or not.
I LOVE to drive and will fight ANY kind of computer assistance tooth and nail.

Secretly (hey saying this out loud will probably anger those who prefer assistance or even fully automatic driving) I believe that people who don't like/want to drive or are in any way unable to shouldn't be behind the wheel.

 

[JMGuy]

As far as I can tell, it only speeds when it’s safe with clear roads to do so, and furthermore the rules of the road demand that it’s important to follow the flow of traffic, and that’s just one reason it may be legal to speed.

*blows milk out nose*
Sorry, but this is one of the dumbest statements I’ve seen in a while.

No U.S. state permits speeding just because “everyone else is doing it.” That’s not how laws work, and parroting that nonsense as if it’s fact and worse, about safety, only proves you have no clue how traffic law — or basic logic for that matter — functions.

If this is how you rationalize your driving habits, then you’re a danger behind the wheel, full stop. Traffic laws aren’t optional just because “the road looks clear”, or because you feel like you’re blending in. That’s an incompetent driving attitude.

You can try to dress it up with “flow of traffic” and supposed “safety” talk all you like, but what you’re really saying is: I speed when I want, and I think that’s fine. It’s not legal. It’s not responsible. It’s selfish and dangerous.

Honestly dude, if you can’t grasp the basics of driving law—you know, the thing you had to prove you understood before they gave you a license—you shouldn’t be pretending to be a competent driver.

Sorry but this really isn’t debatable. Get mad if you want but you’re just out of depth. Anyone who has lost someone to a speeding driver would and should call it out. I’ve personally witnessed too many people die from driving stupidity to let that one pass.

 

[pnntmp]

Wow! The next "I hate Elon so much" essay, based on hearsay and ridiculous presumptions.

"more frequent lane changes" is something perfectly legal (more frequent than what, by the way?), and occasionally exceeding the speed limit does not mean FSD is programmed to do so - cameras happen to miss speed limit signs every now and then, e.g. when the sign is covered by something.

The number of accidents is microscopic compared to any random sample of human-controlled driving over the same mileage, and most of these accidents were simply unavoidable - no car can instantly decelerate to 0 or otherwise magically avoid each and every situation.

The only 'problem' here seems to be the name. It's really cool, but not accounting for the fact there are m0r0ns capable of finding problems everywhere, and especially in places where they don't exist.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

*blows milk out nose*
Sorry, but this is one of the dumbest statements I’ve seen in a while.

No U.S. state permits speeding just because “everyone else is doing it.” That’s not how laws work, and parroting that nonsense as if it’s fact and worse, about safety, only proves you have no clue how traffic law — or basic logic for that matter — functions.

If this is how you rationalize your driving habits, then you’re a danger behind the wheel, full stop. Traffic laws aren’t optional just because “the road looks clear”, or because you feel like you’re blending in. That’s an incompetent driving attitude.

You can try to dress it up with “flow of traffic” and supposed “safety” talk all you like, but what you’re really saying is: I speed when I want, and I think that’s fine. It’s not legal. It’s not responsible. It’s selfish and dangerous.

Honestly dude, if you can’t grasp the basics of driving law—you know, the thing you had to prove you understood before they gave you a license—you shouldn’t be pretending to be a competent driver.

Sorry but this really isn’t debatable. Get mad if you want but you’re just out of depth. Anyone who has lost someone to a speeding driver would and should call it out. I’ve personally witnessed too many people die from driving stupidity to let that one pass.

No one is mad here lol. But you seem to be using a lot of emotive language, so it's not surprising that you're trying to project "anger" onto others, and that you're telling me that this is not up for debate.

Anyways, California's DMV tells drivers to adjust their speed based on a lot of conditions, including the flow of traffic. That means you can get a fine for going to slow if you are not matching the speed of traffic, and you're far more likely to get a ticket if you're alone in speeding: https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article277636233.html

Regardless of the posted speed limit, drivers should adjust their speed depending on surrounding driving factors.

According to the California Driver Handbook, these factors include: The speed of other vehicles, the number of vehicles on the road, road surface conditions, the presence of bicyclists or pedestrians, weather conditions and traffic congestion.

Henning Mortensen, owner of Bond Driving School, said there is a reasonable expectation to go faster or slower than the speed limit in certain situations. These situations include bad weather conditions, safely entering a freeway or overpassing a vehicle, like a semi truck. “However, all over the speed limit is subject to discretion of Peace officer,” Mortensen said. “But all weather conditions supersede the posted limits as in Prima Facie Speed law demonstration.”

Officer Margarito Meza, spokesperson for CHP, said the one number primary collision factor of crashes that the CHP takes reports on is due to speed. “Driving the speed limit is what is recommended, but obviously there are multiple things to take into consideration when considering one’s speed such as light or heavy traffic, weather conditions, and roadway conditions,” Meza said.

Adhering to the maximum posted speed limit is the law. If drivers do not follow the signage, Meza said an officer can make an enforcement stop and issue a citation to a driver who is only going 1 mph over the posted speed limit. “Does that necessarily mean that will happen on every occurrence? No,” Meza said. “It is at the officer’s discretion to determine what action to take.”

Simply going over the speed limit gives cops a reason to pull you over, but it does not mean they will pull you over, or that you'll get a citation if they do pull you over for going over the speed limit. What's more important to cops than enforcing traffic law is ensuring that drivers are driving safely. If they see you doing something unusual, they will pull you over for about any reason to ensure everything is okay.

And ironically, unlike what you say the US DOT tells local governments that the flow of traffic should often determine the posted speed limits. When drivers are going too fast for it to be safe, it even suggests that it's the roadway that may need to change (ie. adding speed bumps): https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/11th_Edition/mutcd11thedition.pdf

On a freeway, expressway, or rural highway (outside urbanized locations or conditions), the speed limit that is posted within a speed zone should be within 5 mph of the 85th-percentile speed of free-flowing motor-vehicle traffic

So yes, depending on the situation, going over the speed limit may be what's safer (and the law).

 

[sreams]

What an odd, click-baity headline. FSD already exceeds the speed limit when appropriate (yes, I said that). This new mode does not change that in any way.

 

[wiyosaya]

What’s particular to note is that TechSpot is covering news of Mad Max while ignoring news about the rest of v14. So far, I’ve ONLY seen full videos of drives without safety interventions (except parking where there is a chain blocking access). Drivers using v14 are literally not touching any controls at all except for inputting the destination. That’s FAR more newsworthy than this.

Except when the deaths start. Then Tesla, fElon, and all the Musk-o-nauts will blame the driver.

Somehow, the other modes do not seem as important to me, even if a driver can choose them, than this "insane" mode. It doesn't matter if there's no one around, if the road is clear, etc., exceeding the speed limit is still violating the law; however, the Musk-o-nauts will still find a way to excuse breaking the law. And it doesn't surprise me that fElon would put a mode like this in a vehicle that one of his companies produces since fElon thinks he can buy his way out of responsibility.

Go ahead. Put yours in that mode, find someplace to do it, and by all means, video yourself. Then wait for the knock on your door and hope you have the bail to bail yourself out of jail.

 

[oldcanadian]

Where the hell is Ralph Nader when you need him?
62 Corvair safer than anything produced by Tesla.

 

[airbornex]

Nothing says please trust our safety tech during multiple federal investigations like releasing a mode named after a dystopia where traffic laws are a suggestion and car crashes are a plot device.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Go ahead. Put yours in that mode, find someplace to do it, and by all means, video yourself. Then wait for the knock on your door and hope you have the bail to bail yourself out of jail.

I thought you just said breaking the law would be Tesla’s fault? Well I guess you cleared that up for us, thanks!

 

[OortCloud]

Elon Musk is such an a55hole. Maladjusted weird kidult with some terrifying opinions and political leanings.