Technology isn’t always beneficial and snoozing behind the wheel can have serious consequences. This proves to be true when a Tesla gets a driver in trouble by leading police on a chase while on autopilot mode. A driver in Germany had his license taken away after he was found sleeping with the Tesla taking over the road journey.
According to police reports, the officers witnessed a Tesla driving down Autobahn 70 leaving Bamberg, Germany, and heading toward Bayreuth. The police tried to stop the Tesla but the car continued on with no signs of applying the brakes. The car was traveling at about 70 miles per hour and officers followed behind to get a hold of the driver.
Police eventually got near the Tesla and when they walked over to the driver’s side window, they found the driver reclined in his seat, sleeping blissfully unaware of his surroundings. The man was later identified as a 45-year-old male that let the car do the work while he dozed off.
The chase between the Tesla and the police lasted approximately 15 minutes before the man finally woke up. The man was under the influence of drugs and his hands weren’t on the wheel. According to the news release: “A device is attached to the steering wheel to trick the vehicle’s safety system by pretending that your hand is on the wheel.”
The driver’s license has been suspended and he’s pending charges for turning his Tesla into a napping pod.
Source: https://www.polizei.bayern.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/041271/index.html