Two senators urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to formally investigate a reported issue involving a certain Tesla feature and railroad crossings, according to NBC News.
What's happening?
In July, reports from Tesla drivers, concerned that the electric automaker's Full Self-Driving technology seemed to struggle to identify railroad crossings, began to emerge.
In mid-September, The Independent cited "dozens" of complaints from Tesla drivers about its supervised FSD. The outlet quoted Texas-based Tesla driver Italo Frigoli, who recalled fearing his vehicle would barrel through an active crossing barrier.
"It felt like it was going to run through the arms," Frigoli explained, adding that he was forced to stop short and "slam" on his brakes lest his car drift through the crossing.
California Tesla driver Jared Cleaver said he's encountered "several mishaps" involving railroad crossings in his 2021 Tesla Model 3. He, too, had to "slam" on his brakes once, when the stopped vehicle reportedly leapt forward at a railroad crossing.
On Sept. 29, Sens. Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal publicly pressed the NHTSA to review Tesla's safety at railroad crossings in a letter.
Markey and Blumenthal cited a high rate of general traffic incidents and fatalities on and near railroad crossings, adding that "FSD's failure to safely navigate railroad crossings creates serious risk of a catastrophic crash."
"We urge NHTSA to immediately launch a formal investigation into this disturbing safety risk and take any necessary action to protect the public," Markey and Blumenthal said.
Why is this concerning?
Overall, 2025 has been a volatile year for Tesla on several levels.
The brand's name was largely interchangeable with "electric car" for years, but CEO Elon Musk's political activity appeared to negatively impact Tesla sales.
TCD Picks » Stasher Spotlight
💡Stasher's reusable food storage options make it easy and affordable to live life with less plastic
|
Do you think the government should ban gas-powered lawn tools? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
No way 🙅 Moreover, Tesla's robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, was rocky, with the limited pool of passengers reporting technical challenges not dissimilar to those involving railroad crossings. To date, there have been no fewer than three crashes involving robotaxis, though that also means many successful drives, and the company has projected satisfaction thus far with how things are going.
To be fair, automated driverless taxis sounded like absolute science fiction a decade ago, so what Tesla is achieving is still impressive, even if there have been hiccups and competition, in Waymo, that appears to be ahead in the space. Still, impressive is less important than safe, and safety is what the senators want the NHTSA to ensure.
Tesla's high-profile safety and sales stumbles, juxtaposed with its standing in the market, could discourage new drivers from making their next car an EV.
However, in good news for EV adoption and potentially challenging news for Tesla, a slew of competitively priced rivals have been making market share gains in 2025, too.
What's being done about Tesla's safety concerns?
Sens. Markey and Blumenthal politely requested a formal, written response from the NHTSA by Oct. 20, detailing "the steps the agency intends to take" and a "timeline" for "any investigation."
Neither Tesla nor the NHTSA had yet responded to the letter, but the latter acknowledged the reports and stated they were in talks with the automaker.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
