Police in Canada caught a driver taking a nap as his Tesla Model S barreled down a rural highway on autopilot at more than 90 miles per hour, according to reports.
The 20-year-old man from British Columbia was charged with dangerous driving after authorities caught him snoozing behind the wheel July 9 and chased him down near the town of Ponoka in Alberta province, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
»FROM AUGUST: Georgia man leads troopers on 155 mph chase in Nebraska
“The car appeared to be self-driving ... with both front seats completely reclined & occupants appeared to be asleep,” police announced on Twitter, adding the posted speed limit on the stretch of road is 68 mph.
Police Sgt. Darrin Turnbull, a 20-year veteran, told Canadian public broadcaster CBC the incident left him “speechless,” CBS reported.
“Nobody was looking out the windshield to see where the car was going,” he said.
The driver is due to appear in court in December.
In August, another Tesla on autopilot crashed into a police car while the driver allegedly watched a movie.
Tesla’s autopilot feature allows the vehicle to steer, accelerate and brake within a lane autonomously, but the safety system allows the car to operate only when there is “active driver supervision,” the American automaker states on its website.
Some observers noted that many drivers are learning online how to “hack” Tesla’s internal safety systems, according to reports.
“Although manufacturers of new vehicles have built-in safeguards to prevent drivers from taking advantage of the new safety systems in vehicles, those systems are just that -- supplemental safety systems,” RCMP traffic services Superintendent Gary Graham said in a statement. “They are not self-driving systems, they still come with the responsibility of driving.”
About the Author
