Federal safety regulators have asked Tesla for details about a newly prominent Full Self-Driving (FSD) personality setting nicknamed Mad Max, after drivers reported sharper acceleration, tighter gaps, and speeds that feel closer to a sports sedan than a cautious commuter car. The story is not about a video-game driving mode; it is about real Model 3, Model Y, and other Tesla vehicles on U.S. highways where posted limits, following distance, and red-light rules still apply to the human holding the wheel.
What changed in the car
Tesla markets FSD (Supervised) as an advanced driver-assistance stack that plans lane changes, handles many intersections, and adjusts speed in traffic, but it is not autonomous driving. The driver must stay engaged, keep hands ready, and override the system whenever law or safety demands it. Recent over-the-air updates added clearer speed personalities alongside existing profiles: Sloth dials back assertiveness, while Mad Max pushes the opposite direction with higher target speeds and more frequent lane changes than the calmer Hurry setting many owners already used.
Social posts and road videos describe Mad Max weaving through slower lanes and holding speeds that track traffic flow rather than the black-and-white number on the sign. NHTSA told Reuters in late October 2025 that it is in contact with Tesla to gather additional information and reiterated that the person behind the wheel remains fully responsible for obeying traffic laws, whether FSD is on or off.
Why regulators care now
The Mad Max questions land in the same month NHTSA opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25012, covering an estimated 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised) or FSD (Beta). That file catalogs dozens of reports alleging traffic-law violations with the system engaged, including running red signals, wrong-way lane departures, and turn-lane mismatches, with 14 crashes and 23 injuries cited in the opening resume. Mad Max did not replace that probe; it added a narrower line of inquiry about whether an aggressive speed profile makes those behaviors more likely or harder for a distracted driver to catch in time.
From a enforcement perspective, the distinction matters. A speeding ticket or red-light camera violation still names the licensed driver, not the software brand. Insurance claims work the same way. Assisted driving does not create a special exemption on Interstate 95, suburban arterials, or school zones.
On the road: what you should assume
Treat Mad Max like selecting the most eager lane on a rental-car paddle shifter, not like hiring a chauffeur. Before you enable it on a familiar commute, note three items: the posted limit on each segment, whether your state treats even minor speed-over violations as moving points, and how much following distance you need if the car decides to merge late.
- Speed caps: FSD profiles influence target speed relative to traffic, not a legal waiver. If the cluster shows a number above the sign, reduce throttle or disengage until you are back in compliance.
- Intersections: PE25012 highlights repeated allegations at specific junctions, including straight-through movement against red indications. Approach every signal as if you must verify color yourself, especially at night or in glare.
- Lane discipline: Complaints in the federal file describe crossings of double yellow lines and turns from through lanes. Watch lane arrows and pavement markings even when the car appears confident.
- Override habit: A quick brake tap or steering correction should be muscle memory. If you need to argue with the car more than once per mile, drop to a calmer profile or drive manually.
Choosing a profile on purpose
Sloth exists for a reason: dense city grids, school arrival windows, and wet pavement reward patience. Mad Max may feel efficient on an open rural two-lane with clear sight lines, yet the same profile on a congested urban loop can convert a five-minute delay into a citation or a sideswipe. Many owners treat personality settings like tire pressure checks—something you set for the trip type, not something you install once and forget.
If you share the vehicle, leave a note in the glove box about which profile other drivers should use. Teen drivers and visitors may not know that FSD is supervised only; pairing a conservative profile with a verbal rule reduces surprises.
Software updates and your paper trail
Tesla documents builds in the vehicle menus, but owners who face insurance questions or a state inquiry sometimes need a simple personal timeline of when a major FSD release or profile appeared. Logging the install date and profile you selected in CarDiary gives you a private service record that sits beside repair receipts without claiming to be a government database or GPS tracker.
How this differs from robotaxi headlines
Separate NHTSA files in October 2025 examined driverless fleets and school-bus stop scenarios in other companies’ vehicles. Your Tesla with FSD (Supervised) still requires a licensed operator and falls under the same state motor-vehicle codes as any other private car. The regulatory focus on Mad Max is about whether marketing an aggressive assist mode nudges ordinary drivers toward ordinary violations—not about replacing your registration or inspection obligations.
Until NHTSA publishes findings, the practical stance for U.S. drivers is conservative: pick the slowest profile that completes the errand safely, verify every signal yourself, and remember that assistance software does not appear on your driver’s license as a co-pilot with shared liability. The car may drive like a sports sedan in Mad Max; the law still treats you as the only driver in the courtroom.
