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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday that the later release 2026 Tesla Model Y is the first vehicle to meet the agency’s new benchmark for advanced driver assistance systems.

Four pass-fail tests were added to the agency’s safety ratings program, assessing a car’s automatic emergency braking for pedestrians, blind-spot warning, blind-spot intervention, and lane assist, a feature that helps keep the vehicle in the lane.