Tesla has admitted that its robotaxis are sometimes fully human-controlled, even if they lack safety operators. This admission was made in a letter to Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat representing Massachusetts. The disclosure contrasts with competitors like Waymo, who allow humans to play a significant role in the operation of their vehicles but limit it. Tesla's director of public policy and business development, Karen Steakley, stated that human operators are authorized to temporarily assume direct vehicle control as the final escalation maneuver after all other available intervention actions have been exhausted. Despite this, Markey stated that there are a patchwork of safety practices across the industry, with significant variation in operator qualifications, response times, and overseas staffing.