A pair of US senators is asking the federal traffic safety agency to look into Tesla's self-driving software in response to complaints that it fails to stop for trains at railroad crossings.

The electric auto firm has had a checkered history with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which is designed to assist with driving tasks on journeys (with an attentive driver behind the wheel today, though Tesla markets it as a step toward eventual full autonomy), but has experienced a number of mishaps.

Now, Senators Edward J. Markey and Richard Blumenthal have penned a letter [PDF] to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), asking it for a formal investigation into Tesla's system because of reported failures to safely detect and respond to railroad crossings.

"Despite past

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