The car was moving along the highway when the police noticed him. The patrol signaled the car, but the 45-year-old sleeping driver did not respond. The police pursued Tesla for about 15 minutes at a speed of 110 km/h.
The officers found that the Tesla driver was lying on the seat with his eyes closed. This strengthened the suspicion that he left the control of the autopilot and fell asleep. These suspicions were confirmed after Tesla specially tried to stay at a distance from the police.
After 15 minutes, the Tesla driver woke up and stopped. According to messages the police, the driver was under the influence of prohibited substances. The officers also found a heavier of the steering wheel in the space. This device is designed to go around the Tesla security system by simulating the fact that the driver’s hand is on the steering wheel.
During the operation of the autopilot, Tesla requires the driver to hold behind the wheel. And after activation, the autopilot will give out a series of audiovisual warnings that encourage the driver to put his hands on the steering wheel if insufficient torque is detected. The punishment for failure to comply with this requirement is the temporary blocking of the autopilot.
The sleeping driver is now under investigation for the creation of a threat of road traffic, and he had to hand over his driver’s license until the matter is uncovered.