If you think that we flesh-and-bone drivers can get impatient and make stupid decisions around railroad crossings, you haven’t seen how reckless our supposedly digital betters can be. Tesla’s “Full-Self Driving” software is seemingly unable to detect the lowered gate arms and flashing lights of a railroad crossing. Videos are being posted on social media of drivers having to intervene to prevent Tesla vehicles equipped with the semi-autonomous technology from plowing through crossing arms. The apparent fault has resulted in at least one car being clipped by a train.
These haven’t been rare or anecdotal cases for Tesla EVs struggling to navigate crossings. NBC News found 40 recorded incidents since June 2023 and interviewed six drivers about their experiences at railroad crossings. In one interview, Italo Frigoli voiced his concern after his HW4-equipped 2025 Model Y tried to drive through a crossing near his North Texas home in June. Frigoli noted he was forced to slam on the brakes in clear weather conditions and no other traffic. He said, “I would think with flashing red lights the car should stop on its own. In future iterations of FSD, hopefully they’ll code it to work and recognize the railroad crossings correctly.”
A Tesla drove itself onto railroad tracks in Pennsylvania
Another railroad crossing incident in June involved a Tesla with ‘Full Self-Driving’ enabled getting stuck on the tracks. According to WFMZ, the car bafflingly made a left turn at a railroad crossing in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. The electric vehicle drove down the tracks for about 50 feet before the driver and two passengers got out. A Norfolk Southern train barrelled down the tracks and clipped the Tesla just a few minutes later. Luckily, the only significant damage was a destroyed wing mirror. I’m stunned that the driver didn’t intervene sooner.
It’s no secret that Elon Musk has bet Tesla’s future on autonomous driving. The automaker’s Robotaxi service is expanding so rapidly that the technology can’t keep up. The driverless taxis have featured safety monitors since launching in Austin earlier this year. A change in Texas law this month introduced stricter standards for driverless driving systems, requiring Level 4 autonomy at a minimum. In response, Tesla moved its safety monitors to the driver’s seat, making them drivers and not observers.
