Tesla hopes drivers will soon be able to text while letting the car drive. CEO Elon Musk says this could happen “in the next month or two,” but only if it’s safe enough. The latest version, Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14, needs a person to keep watch. People can’t just take their eyes off the road yet.
FSD v14 has started going out to drivers as of October 2025. The update lets cars better handle blocked roads and surprises like debris. There is better control for turns and lane changes. Cars now react properly to school buses, tricky gates, and parked emergency vehicles.
Tesla will allow you to text while using FSD: Video
NEWS: Elon Musk says in the next month or two Tesla will allow you to text while using FSD and reduce the attention monitoring strictness. pic.twitter.com/vhzx2v9goi
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 6, 2025
How FSD v14 works now
Tesla’s system uses cameras instead of special sensors. The car will clean its own cameras when dirty. Newer Model Y cars include automatic cleaner for the front camera, so they don’t lose sight even with rain or dust. The software tries to keep the drive on track, but still gives warnings for anything strange and needs the driver alert.
Texting while driving is banned in every state but Montana. Tesla can’t let people text unless states agree, and that means new approvals. Only Nevada allows phone use for true self-driving cars, but Tesla doesn’t meet that level yet. Many states have strict penalties for breaking phone rules.
Accident statistics and current limits
Tesla says FSD cars see one crash nearly every 5 million miles. By comparison, most Americans crash once every 700,000 miles. However, since some FSD cars have made risky moves, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still checking reports for possible recalls or needed changes.
FSD v14 is getting about 1,200 miles on average between bigger mistakes. Experts say it should reach up to 10,000 miles between errors before letting drivers ignore the car, even for a short trip. To claim full self-driving with no backup, the cars must be nearly perfect.
How Musk’s pay connects to FSD
Elon Musk’s pay depends on success with self-driving and other company goals. He needs Tesla to build millions of cars, deploy a big Robotaxi fleet, and sell a lot of FSD subscriptions to keep his compensation package.
Full Self-Driving keeps getting new updates, but people still need to be ready to take over. Most lawmakers require hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. For now, texting while using FSD is a future plan and will need a new green light from the government.
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