Driver may be asleep at the wheel of self-driving car, video shows
By mbrooks on September 10, 2019
By Matthew Brooks
Sleeping while driving is illegal.
Some Tesla cars have a self-driving feature.
Even behind the wheel of a self-driving car, sleeping while driving is still illegal.
One driver was caught on video doing what appears to be a combination of driving and sleeping while driving.
Dakota Randall took the video, the AP reports.
The driver of the Tesla car appears to have been traveling at 55 to 60 mph.
The passenger of the Tesla was also asleep, the video suggests.
Some guy literally asleep at the wheel on the Mass Pike (great place for it).
Teslas are sick, I guess? pic.twitter.com/ARSpj1rbVn
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) September 8, 2019
Randall says he honked his car horn in an attempt to wake the driver of the Tesla.
Tesla is responding to the video.
The video may be a hoax, Tesla says.
A spokesperson for the carmaker released a statement about the video.
“Many of these videos appear to be dangerous pranks or hoaxes. Our driver-monitoring system repeatedly reminds drivers to remain engaged and prohibits the use of Autopilot when warnings are ignored. At highway speeds, drivers typically receive warnings every 30 seconds or less if their hands aren’t detected on the wheel,” the statement reads.