California regulators said the state was assessing whether Tesla Inc's Self-Driving tests needed to be regulated following "videos showing dangerous use of the technology" and a federal investigation into the Tesla crash, Reuters reported.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has said that Tesla's "full self-driving" (FSD) beta requires human intervention and is not subject to the department's scrutiny of self-driving cars. Supervision.

But the department said in a letter on Friday to state Senate Transportation Committee Chair Lena Gonzalez that the department "has responded "after a recent software update, videos showing dangerous use of the technology, NHTSA public disclosures" This decision will be revisited after the investigation and the input of other experts."

The Los Angeles Times first reported the letter. But Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Tesla has been expanding the rollout of a "beta" version of its advanced driver assistance software FSD, raising safety concerns by allowing untrained drivers to test how well the technology works on public roads.

Critics say Tesla could avoid state regulation by telling the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its FSD feature does not represent true self-driving cars.

The department said it had notified Tesla that "further review of its vehicle technology will be conducted, including any expansions to current programs or features."

"If the characteristics of these features meet the definition of an autonomous vehicle under California law and regulations, the DMV will take steps to ensure Tesla operates under the appropriate autonomous vehicle license," the department said in a statement.

Tesla is required to report accidents and traffic tickets specifically related to FSD, said Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

It would also "trigger driver background checks to ensure a good driving record," Koopman said.

Currently, regulations cover companies such as Alphabet Inc and General Motors, which are testing self-driving car technology on public roads in California.

FSD allows the vehicle to perform some driving tasks, such as changing lanes, but Tesla says these features "require an attentive driver." Still, Tesla marketed the technology as "full self-driving" and charged up to $10,000 for the software.

The DMV also said its review of Tesla's use of the term "Full Self-Driving" continues.

"As these systems become more commonplace, the DMV shares many other safety stakeholders' concerns about the potential for driver inattention, misunderstanding or misuse," the DMV said.