Tesla's FSD Approved in Netherlands Amid Allegations of Misleading Safety Data

In November 2024, Tesla submitted an application to the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) seeking approval for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, accompanied by a self-prepared safety report claiming that FSD enhances road safety. Tesla subsequently provided similar data to Swedish regulators. In April 2025, the RDW approved the use of FSD within the Netherlands and is now advancing an application for EU-wide authorization of the system. Throughout this process, Tesla executives have repeatedly cited internal safety data asserting that FSD is ten times safer than human drivers. However, multiple independent road safety researchers have pointed out that these data involve invalid comparisons and exaggerations, rendering them misleading and more aligned with marketing promotion than objective evaluation. The RDW stated that its approval decision did not rely on Tesla’s externally provided statistics or promotional materials, but rather on independent testing, analysis, and audits of the FSD system conducted on public roads and at specialized test facilities. The authority said it has completed verification of the extensive data collected during Tesla’s testing phase, though it has not disclosed the specific types of data or evaluation metrics used. As of the time of reporting, Tesla had not responded to the related criticisms.