A driver who fell asleep using Tesla Autopilot while driving his Model S is finding himself in a slew of legal issues. According to the police, the driver was caught sleeping while using Autopilot with their seat “fully reclined” at a high speed. The driver has been hit with criminal charges.
Alberta RCMP (Canada federal police) reported on the incident:
The police reported some suspicious behaviors from the vehicle saying “After the responding Officer activated emergency lights on their vehicle, the Tesla automatically began to accelerate. The Officer was able to obtain radar readings on the vehicle, confirming that it had automatically accelerated up to exactly 150 km/h.”
As it is widely known, Tesla Autopilot is not a “self-driving” system and is meant only as a driver assist feature. Although irresponsible drivers continue to push the autonomy of their EVs, Tesla repeatedly reminds drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and to pay attention at all times.
In an attempt to resolve this issue, Tesla implemented a system that requires drivers to occasionally apply light torque to the steering wheel to keep Autopilot active.
In this particular incident, the vehicle eventually stopped, and the police said they issued the driver a speeding ticket. However, the driver was later charged with dangerous driving under the criminal code.