Fact Check: Dawn Project demonstrates Tesla's FSD running over a child-sized mannequin.

Fact Check: "Dawn Project demonstrates Tesla's FSD running over a child-sized mannequin."

What We Know

On June 12, 2025, a live demonstration was conducted by The Dawn Project in collaboration with Tesla Takedown and ResistAustin in Austin, Texas. This event aimed to showcase the alleged safety failures of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, specifically version 13.2.9. During the demonstration, the FSD system was tested eight times, and in each instance, it ran over a child-sized mannequin while illegally passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop sign extended (source-1, source-2). The software did not disengage or alert the driver during any of the tests, raising significant safety concerns (source-3).

Analysis

The demonstration was witnessed by numerous attendees and journalists, which adds a layer of credibility to the claims made by The Dawn Project and its partners. The consistent failure of the FSD system to recognize and react to the presence of the mannequin across all eight tests suggests a serious flaw in the software's safety protocols (source-4, source-5).

Critics of Tesla, including Dan O'Dowd, the founder of The Dawn Project, have been vocal about the potential dangers posed by the FSD technology, arguing that it should be banned until it can be proven safe for public use (source-1). However, it is important to note that The Dawn Project has a vested interest in highlighting these issues, as O'Dowd's company offers competing automated driving software. This potential bias should be considered when evaluating the claims made during the demonstration.

Despite this, the repeated failures of the FSD software in a controlled test environment, combined with previous incidents involving Tesla's autonomous driving features, lend weight to the concerns raised by the demonstration (source-6, source-7).

Conclusion

The claim that the Dawn Project demonstrated Tesla's FSD running over a child-sized mannequin is True. The evidence from the live demonstration, corroborated by multiple sources, indicates that the FSD software failed to detect and respond to the mannequin in a critical safety test. While the motivations of the organizations involved may introduce some bias, the consistency of the results across multiple tests raises serious concerns about the safety of Tesla's FSD technology.

Sources

1. The Dawn Project and Tesla Takedown Conduct Live ...
2. Tesla blows past stopped school bus and hits kid-sized ...
3. Anti-Tesla activists test self-driving technology on child ...
4. Dawn Project Safety Test Finds That Tesla Full Self-Driving ...
5. Tesla FSD mows down child-size mannequins in third-party test
6. Tesla Model Y Driving On FSD Knocks Down Kid-Sized ...
7. Watch a Tesla with FSD ignore a stop sign and run over ...