Safe driving is still the number one concern when it comes to self-driving cars and a driver of a Tesla Model S was caught sleeping while his vehicle was on autopilot mode prompting the video to go viral.
Auto Blog reported that the idea behind self-driving cars is to tackle issues such as urban congestion and passenger safety. Self-driving vehicles still require the passenger or the driver to be fully attentive despite these cars being equipped with technology allowing driverless driving.
Autonomous vehicles keep safe distances from the cars ahead and also keep the car within the lane markings using 13 ultrasonic sensors. These cars are also capable of brakes in case there is a sudden object in front of them while on the road as well as can be summoned to pick up the driver from a certain area.
Despite the many advances in the self-driving technology, it is still require drivers and passengers to be active to avoid any accidents. The car will emit sounds and will display alerts on the screen when it needs the driver to take over. If and when the driver will not be making any move when asked to take over the wheel, the car will activate its hazard lights then move towards the hard shoulder to make a complete stop.
In the video, the blue Tesla Model S car was seen driving with many cars on its side, ahead, and behind. The driver was seen taking advantage of the semi-autonomous vehicle by sleeping as it let the car take him to where he has to be taken. Inside EVs reported that the video could also be fake as the Autopilot feature of Tesla's Model S still requires interaction with the driver.
After the video has become viral, Tech Insider reported that Tesla has released a statement about the matter. They said that Tesla Autopilot is designed to provide a hands-on experience so that drivers will have more confidence when behind the wheel as their safety on the road is increased. However, they do not approve with the driver who clearly abandoned his responsibility.
The driver in the video has not come forward yet with any statements. It was also not clear who took the video. You can watch the full clip here: https://youtu.be/sXls4cdEv7c.
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