Tesla's "Full-Self Driving" System Troubles, Fails To Detect Railroad Crossing

Tesla FSD work system. (Photo: Tesla)

JAKARTA Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is an additional package of driver assistance features that the company has predicted as a "future of transportation", which is capable of navigating almost anywhere but requires active supervision.

However, the sophistication of this technology is not yet perfect. A number of reports and videos show that this semi-autonomous technology has failed to recognize active rail crossings, forcing drivers to take over the wheel to avoid danger.

Citing a report from NBC News, Thursday, September 18, revealed that Tesla FSD, which is a Level 2 status and requires full supervision from the driver, is experiencing serious difficulties. In one of the recorded videos, a Tesla Model Y approaches a railroad crossing whose bars are already starting to fall, but the car doesn't automatically stop. The driver must step on the brakes manually to stop the vehicle.

This tense incident was experienced by Italo Frigoli one night in June. At that time, he was trying FSD software on his Tesla car. When approaching the railroad crossing, the doorstop was already down and the warning light flashed, signaling the train would soon pass.

For human drivers, these signals are a clear signal to stop. However, Frigoli was surprised to see his car, which was walking in semi-autonomous mode, showing no signs of stopping.

"It feels like this car will break through the doorstop," Frigoli said. "So, I immediately stepped on the brakes as hard as I could."

Similar problems were reported by many other Tesla drivers on various online forums. They complained that FSD did not respond to flickering lights and crossdoors, even when the signal was clearly visible. Some experts speculate that Tesla may not use enough data to train its software to recognize the various types of train crossings.

This issue has caught the attention of regulators. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) stated that it was "realizing this incident" and had communicated with manufacturers. NHTSA added that it continues to analyze complaints from consumers to find out if there is a serious safety defect trend in the vehicle.

This incident adds to the long list of cases related to FSD. Earlier in June, a Tesla car reportedly turned into a rail line and was hit by a train a few minutes later.