US Senators Call for Probe into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Technology Over Safety Concerns

Democratic U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal have urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The senators cited reported failures in detecting and responding to railroad crossings, warning of potential 'catastrophic' collisions involving trains, vehicle occupants, and rail workers.

Despite Tesla's claims that FSD allows vehicles to navigate 'almost anywhere' autonomously, the system still requires human supervision. The NHTSA has been investigating FSD since October 2024 following four collisions in low-visibility conditions, including incidents involving SUN glare and fog.

The senators' letter highlights a growing number of near-miss incidents, emphasizing that rail crossing errors could have far deadlier consequences than typical traffic violations. 'A miscalculation at a train crossing can lead to multi-fatality collisions,' they wrote, underscoring the urgency of regulatory scrutiny.