Tesla Model Y is the first car to meet the US driver safety benchmark

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday that the 2026 Tesla Model Y that was released later is the first car to implement new driver assistance systems.

Four failure tests were added to the agency’s safety monitoring program, evaluating the vehicle’s emergency braking for pedestrians, blind spot warning, blind spot intervention, and lane assist, a feature that helps keep the vehicle on the road.

The updated systems are designed to keep up with the ever-changing cars and the long list of products offered to consumers. Automakers often label these products with names that don’t always describe what they do, and there’s often no government-issued benchmark to measure their performance.

The new benchmark standards apply to 2026 Tesla Model Y vehicles assembled on or after November 12, 2025.

The test is part of NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which administers the government’s 5-Star safety program. NCAP also conducts a battery of tests to determine the performance of vehicles in frontal and side crashes and rollover resistance, as well as crash avoidance. Four advanced driver assistance systems were added in 2024 as part of NCAP changes including advanced driver assistance features.

TechCrunch has reached out to NHTSA to find out what other vehicles are in line. We will update this article if the agency responds.