Tesla’s Full Self-Driving System Approaching European and Turkish Approval for Urban Driving

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Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised software is nearing approval for operation in Europe and Turkey, marking a significant step towards wider deployment of its driver-assistance system. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will discuss revisions to UN R171 regulations during its 42nd session on October 23, 2025.

If approved, these revisions will permit Tesla’s FSD Supervised and similar autonomous systems to operate on urban roads in addition to highways across Europe. As Turkey is a member of the UNECE, the regulations will also apply within Turkey.

The proposed update expands the scope of autonomous driving beyond highways to encompass urban environments. According to documentation, system-initiated maneuvers will now include traffic light and intersection navigation, turns, roundabouts, and obstacle avoidance.

Crucially, the regulations emphasize that a human driver must retain control and responsibility at all times, including stipulations for a minimum three-second warning period before any system-initiated maneuver. All actions must comply with national traffic laws, and driver engagement will be continuously monitored; the vehicle will automatically stop if the driver fails to respond. The vehicle will also be restricted from initiating any maneuvers while the driver’s hands are not on the steering wheel.

Manufacturers will be required to conduct additional safety validations to demonstrate the secure operation of their systems on urban roads, including proving accurate responses to turns, obstacle avoidance, and stop-yield scenarios. This amendment will expand the highway usage approval, effective September 2025, to include urban driving in UNECE member countries, allowing companies like Tesla to offer more advanced, semi-autonomous driving features.