US Senators Urge NHTSA Probe of Tesla FSD Railroad Crossing Failures

Two Democratic U.S. senators, Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, have called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software due to multiple reports of the system failing to detect and safely respond to railroad crossings. The senators warned that such failures could lead to catastrophic, multi-fatality crashes, urging the regulator to consider restricting FSD use to certain road and weather conditions. These concerns come amid growing scrutiny over Tesla's automated driving features, which remain classified as Level 2 automation requiring active human supervision. NHTSA has acknowledged the senators' request and noted that Tesla's driver-assist systems are designed to support, not replace, human control. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans to release a new FSD software version, but it is unclear if it will address railroad crossing safety issues. The calls for investigation follow multiple complaints and video evidence from Tesla drivers highlighting safety lapses at railroad crossings and other scenarios like ignoring school bus stop signs and erratic lane changes.