A viral video has surfaced of a Tesla Model 3 on 'Full Self-Driving' mode driving straight through railroad crossing barriers in Los Angeles, California. The vehicle was traveling at 23 mph near West Covina when the incident occurred. The dashcam footage shows the car approaching the crossing where barriers have just come down, and it fails to detect them or slow down accordingly. This raises serious concerns about the reliability of Tesla's Autopilot technology, particularly in life-or-death situations like railroad crossings.
The incident is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern of failures by Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system at railroad crossings. NBC News has investigated over 40 reports of FSD mishaps on social media, with six Tesla drivers sharing their experiences and providing video evidence. The issue has been so serious that Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal have urged a formal investigation into FSD's handling of railroad crossings.
The timing of this incident is striking, as it comes on the same day as NHTSA's deadline for Tesla to turn over critical data from its investigation into FSD traffic violations. The agency has been investigating over 80 reported incidents, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries, and is demanding detailed timelines for each incident. This adds to a growing list of viral FSD failures in recent months, including a video of the system trying to drive a Tesla into a lake and a Chinese Tesla owner crashing head-on during a livestream.
Tesla's struggles with complying with NHTSA's data requests have been well-documented. The company has secured two deadline extensions for submitting critical crash data, but still faces scrutiny over its handling of FSD-related incidents. The agency is demanding detailed timelines for each incident, including which software version was running and whether drivers received warnings.
The fact that Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system can't reliably detect railroad crossing barriers is alarming. Railroad crossings are not edge cases, but rather life-or-death situations with clear visual signals like flashing lights, lowered gates, and painted road markings. If FSD can't handle this, it shouldn't be called Full Self-Driving, supervised or not.
The incident raises questions about the marketing claims made by Tesla. The company charges up to $15,000 for FSD and markets it with a name that implies the car drives itself. However, when the system fails to detect a literal barrier across the road, it's fair to question whether Tesla's marketing matches reality.
The driver of the Tesla Model 3 should have been paying attention and intervening in time. That's the deal with a Level 2 system. But that argument cuts both ways. Tesla charged up to $15,000 for FSD and markets it with a name that implies the car drives itself. When the system fails to detect a literal barrier across the road, it's fair to question whether Tesla's marketing matches reality.
The incident highlights the need for increased scrutiny on Tesla's Autopilot technology and its marketing claims. As the company continues to operate a limited unsupervised Robotaxi service using the same FSD software under investigation, it's clear that more needs to be done to ensure public safety.
Tesla will likely face further scrutiny over this incident, particularly as it relates to its compliance with NHTSA's data requests. The agency is demanding detailed timelines for each incident, and the company must provide accurate information about its FSD system's performance. Only then can we have a clear understanding of just how common these railroad crossing failures really are.
The incident highlights the need for increased scrutiny on Tesla's Autopilot technology and its marketing claims.
