Tesla FSD Drives Through Railroad Crossing Barriers in Viral Video, Amid NHTSA Investigation
Key Takeaways
- ▸Tesla FSD failed to detect lowered railroad crossing barriers and drove through them at 23 mph without attempting to slow down, with the barriers at camera-height making the failure particularly alarming
- ▸This incident is part of a documented pattern of over 40 FSD failures at railroad crossings, including at least one case where an FSD vehicle was struck by a train
- ▸The video emerges on the same day Tesla's deadline to submit critical crash data to NHTSA for an investigation covering 2.88 million FSD-equipped vehicles and 80 documented violations including railroad crossing failures
Summary
A viral dashcam video posted on March 8 shows a Tesla Model 3 operating on "Full Self-Driving" mode driving straight through lowered railroad crossing barriers near West Covina, California, at 23 mph without detecting or attempting to slow for the obstruction. The incident is particularly concerning because the crossing barriers were at the height of Tesla's front-facing cameras, yet the system showed no signs of detection. This failure adds to a documented pattern of FSD mishaps at railroad crossings, with NBC News finding over 40 social media reports of similar incidents and at least one case where an FSD vehicle was struck by a train.
The timing of the viral video coincides with today's March 9 deadline for Tesla to deliver critical crash data to NHTSA as part of an ongoing investigation into FSD traffic violations. NHTSA launched the probe in October 2025 after connecting 58 incidents to FSD, growing to 80 documented violations by December 2025, with railroad crossing failures specifically highlighted as part of the investigation. Tesla has already required two deadline extensions, citing the challenge of manually reviewing 8,313 records at a processing rate of approximately 300 per day. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about the safety of a Level 2 autonomous system marketed as "Full Self-Driving" and highlights the gap between its capabilities and its branding.
- Tesla has struggled to meet NHTSA data requests, requiring two deadline extensions and citing the need to manually review 8,313 records at a rate of ~300 per day
Editorial Opinion
The recurring pattern of FSD failures at railroad crossings raises serious questions about Tesla's approach to autonomous driving safety and product marketing. Marketing a Level 2 assistance system as "Full Self-Driving" when it demonstrably cannot handle critical safety scenarios like railroad crossings appears misleading to consumers and creates dangerous expectations. With NHTSA's investigation documenting 80+ violations and 23 injuries, Tesla faces mounting pressure to either significantly improve the system's capabilities or fundamentally reframe how it is marketed and deployed.
