A Hyundai driver in Florida recently came across a Tesla driving in the passing lane, but it wasn’t moving over to the right when there were space to do so. It was then that he decided to pass the Model 3 on the right, only to discover the driver appeared to be asleep behind the wheel.
Due to the poor quality of the video (turn your phone sideways when recording), it is tough to tell if the driver has put any kind of cheat device on the steering wheel to trick the computer into thinking he still has his hands on the wheel. Due to Tesla’s safety features, drivers still have to keep their hands on the wheel while using Autopilot, otherwise the computer alerts the driver with loud beeps, and will slow the vehicle down and pull over safely if no one takes control.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen video of a Tesla driver apparently asleep behind the wheel, and because many people are idiots, it won’t be the last. Recently a US Senator has railed against Tesla and its Autopilot system, calling it unsafe and that it should be recalled and removed from all vehicles.
We also showed you video last week of what appears to be a Toronto Tesla owner filming himself apparently asleep behind the wheel of his Model X as he drove from Boston to Toronto.
We also saw this week a driver who was awake but wasn’t paying attention while using Autopilot crash into the back of a police cruiser. The driver claimed that at the time of the accident he was checking on his dog in the back seat. Fortunately there were no serious injuries.
Consider this your daily reminder to always keep your hands on the wheel while using Autopilot, pay attention to your surroundings, and be ready to take over control of the vehicle at any time (as recommended by Tesla).
h/t: DailyMail
