Elon Musk said Tesla owners might soon be able to text and drive while using the car’s self-driving feature. However, the action is banned in nearly all states.

The Tesla CEO made the remarks while speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6.

While speaking of Tesla’s version 14 self-driving update, which was released last month, Musk said, “We're actually getting to the point where we almost feel comfortable allowing people to text and drive ... Because that’s really what people want to do and (already) do.”

Musk said customers will be able to text and drive starting in one to two months. He did not provide explain how Tesla would skirt traffic laws. He said Tesla officials would first review safety statistics prior to making a decision.

“We will allow you to text and drive, essentially,” Musk said to the delight of shareholders who applauded the announcement.

Tesla's driver monitoring system knows when drivers are texting and will provide warnings. Drivers are currently turning off the self-driving feature to send a text, then turn it back on, Musk claimed, adding that doing so is less safe.

Texting while driving is illegal in 49 states as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Montana does not ban texting and driving, and Missouri only imposes texting while driving rules on those who are under 21 years of age and commercial drivers.

It’s not clear how the mass production of autonomous vehicles could change highway laws. Tesla owners are currently required to watch the road even if the car is in self-driving mode. There have been instances of Tesla drivers being penalized for falling asleep at the wheel with their cars in autopilot.

Last month, a man in Illinois was arrested and charged after their Tesla crashed into a cop car while it was in autonomous mode, local media reported. In 2021, Wisconsin authorities ticketed a man who was sleeping behind the wheel of his Tesla as it drove itself at 80 mph, national media outlets reported. The deputy involved tried to conduct a traffic stop but the man continued sleeping for two miles. The man woke up once the deputy pulled up next to the car.