Tesla FSD Belgium Test: Speed Limits and Cyclist Passes

Europe’s FSD approval story just got a concrete stress test. On September 24, 2026, The Straits Times (Reuters) reported that Belgian pedestrian and cyclist safety group Johanna.be tested Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving over three days in July across about 400 km—and flagged repeated speed and cycle-street failures.

What the NGO measured

In most tested 30 km/h segments around Brussels, FSD averaged 44 km/h. The cabin UI often showed 50 km/h even when the system had recognized roadside 30 km/h signs—Johanna.be likened it to a passenger constantly reassuring the driver the limit is 50. Videos also showed FSD-enabled Teslas attempting to overtake cyclists where overtaking is prohibited. The group still noted cautious, courteous behavior around pedestrians and cyclists when yielding—but said that does not offset the speed and cycle-street failures.

• Test: ~400 km over three days in July (Belgium)
• 30 zones: majority exceeded; average 44 km/h
• UI issue: often displayed 50 km/h despite recognizing 30 signs
• Cycle streets: prohibited overtakes attempted on video

Regulatory backdrop

Dutch regulator RDW approved FSD in April; Belgium and a few other countries followed. An EU-wide vote could come as early as October 6. Tesla and RDW did not respond to Reuters’ comment requests. Tesla released a study earlier in September claiming FSD vehicles do not speed excessively and match surrounding traffic—company framing that sits in tension with Johanna.be’s urban 30-zone results. Flemish transport spokesperson Xavier Lesenne called FSD a learning system and stressed the driver remains 100% responsible.

Johanna.be sent its report to the Flemish ministry and RDW, urging reassessment of approvals.

What “supervised” still means

FSD in these approvals remains a driver-assistance stack: hands-on responsibility stays with the human even when the car is steering. That is why Johanna.be’s UI critique matters—if the cabin shows 50 km/h in a signed 30 zone, the driver can be nudged toward the wrong compliance target while still being legally on the hook. Sweden and other EU voices have already flagged speeding concerns; countries that approved FSD lean on the “driver remains responsible” line.

Separate this from Semi freight headlines

Earlier this week’s US Class 8 order noise and Nevada factory calendar items do not answer low-speed European urban compliance. Different products, different risk surfaces. Rocks readers watching the Oct 6 EU vote should track whether RDW or Flemish authorities respond publicly to Johanna.be’s dossier—and whether Tesla updates its September “no excessive speeding” framing with Europe-specific urban data.

Rocks take

A serious, dated NGO field test—not a lab propaganda piece. Primary-OEM freight headlines from earlier this week do not answer low-speed European compliance questions. Watch the Oct 6 EU vote and any RDW response. Source: The Straits Times / Reuters.

FAQ

Is FSD unsupervised in Belgium? No—coverage describes supervised FSD; drivers must remain ready to intervene.

Did Tesla comment? Tesla and RDW did not respond to Reuters, per the report.