Tesla’s driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas has struggled to reliably detect small animals in low-light conditions, including a reported collision in which a dog ran into an intersection and was struck by a Model Y’s front bumper. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether the camera-only perception system can adequately detect hazards under reduced visibility at night. CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the limitation, describing the challenge as distinguishing small, dark animals against dark pavement, and pointed to a software fix analyzing photon counts. Tesla extended the service’s nighttime operating hours to 11 p.m. as the company works on the detection issue while regulatory scrutiny continues.