Senator Markey Opens Investigation into Autonomous Vehicle Companies’ Use of Remote Human Operators

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (February 3, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today wrote to seven of the major autonomous vehicle companies-Waymo, Tesla, Zoox, Aurora, Motional, May Mobility, and Nuro-demanding answers about the safety of their remote assistance operator systems.

In the letter to the companies, Senator Markey explains that-unknown to many Americans-autonomous vehicle companies rely on remote human operators to oversee autonomous vehicles and help the driving systems navigate complex driving tasks. Unfortunately, companies have provided little insight into where these remote operators are located, how often they intervene with the autonomous vehicle, or how they are qualified.

In the letters, Senator Markey wrote, "Without proper safeguards, the AV industry's reliance on [Remote Assistance Operators] could create serious safety, national security, and privacy risks...Congress and the public deserve assurance that remote assistance operations will not endanger passengers, other road and vulnerable road users, or national security."

Senator Markey continued, "Overseas remote assistance operations may be more susceptible to physical takeover by hostile actors, potentially granting them driver-like control of thousands of vehicles transporting passengers on American roads. Heavy and fast-moving vehicles could quickly become the weapons of foreign actors seeking to harm innocent Americans."

Senator Markey requests the following information by February 17, 2026:

1. The roles and responsibilities of the remote assistance operator, such as whether the operator is limited to providing advice or instruction or is permitted to change's the vehicles trajectory or driving path.
2. Whether any remote assistance operators are located outside the United States, and if so, the countries and jurisdictions involved, and how [the company] conducts oversight, supervision and qualification of such overseas operators;
3. The average and worst-case latency between the vehicle and remote assistance operator from the time a request is generated by the vehicle until a human begins interaction and the time from human intervention to vehicle execution of any instruction;
4. The frequency with which remote assistance sessions are invoked (for example, number of sessions per vehicle-mile or per trip), and the proportion of sessions that result in human input that alters the vehicle's driving plan;
5. A description of [the company's] training, qualification, and monitoring practices for remote assistance operators, including how performance is measured, what credentials and oversight apply, how many hours RAOs work per shift, and how your company manages fatigue, distraction, and user-error for remote operators.
6. A copy of any internal policies or standards by which remote assistance operations are governed, such as remote assistance operator to vehicle ratios, escalation procedures, boundaries for remote operator intervention (such as speed limits, zones, vehicle states), and fallback planning when the remote connection fails or is degraded.

Senator Markey is a longtime advocate of comprehensive vehicle safety measures. In December 2025, Senator Markey and Blumenthal introduced the Stay in Your Lane Act which restricts driving systems to safe domains. In September 2025, Senators Markey and Blumenthal rote to NHTSA urging the agency to investigate concerning reports of Tesla Full-Self Drive driving dangerously around railroad crossings. NHTSA later opened an investigation into the issue. In April 2024, Senators Markey and Blumenthal led their colleagues in a letter urging NHTSA to be highly cautious about letting autonomous vehicles onto public roads. Shortly after the letter, NHTSA opened an investigation into Tesla's dangerous autopilot system. The senators issued a statement praising the Biden administration's investigation.

###

• Print
• Email
• Like
• Tweet