It can be horrifying to see a sleeping driver behind the wheel of his car and the vehicle has not been stopped, and that is just the latest scenario of onlookers as a Tesla automobile was cruising along the Los Angeles highway while the driver is catching some Z’s on the driver seat. It could have just been any ordinary LA afternoon as the California sun is glistening the many cars going up and down the highway. However, the driver of the blue Model S crept its way into heavy traffic while snoozing.
Driver of Blue Tesla Model S Appears to be Fast Asleep While Car is Still Cruising on LA Highway
The aforementioned Model S from electric automaker Tesla should be noted that it is not a self-driving vehicle because it lacks the autonomous functionalities such as Google’s driverless car. However, it does have a sophisticated autopilot system, as seen in a video clip with the man sleeping behind the wheel of the car. Its software will be able to guide the vehicle along a given path. It relies on over a dozen sensor that will allow it to change lanes or even exit garages. Therefore, it can, apparently, allow drivers to just sleep while the car would just cruise along the chosen path all by itself.
However, the autopilot system of Tesla is meant to be a break from the stop-and-go headache of high congestions of traffic flow. Therefore, it is not meant to let drivers sleep while on the fast-paced freeway. While it does look like it was a great marketing gimmick, the automaker did condemn the sleeping driver’s behavior. They even released a statement towards the automobile publishing Motor Trend as the company wrote the following: “does not turn a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and does not allow the driver to abdicate responsibility. Since the release of Autopilot, we’ve continuously educated customers on the use of the feature, reminding them that they’re responsible for remaining alert and present when using Autopilot and must be prepared to take control at all times.”
To recall, back in the year 2014, Tesla founder Elon Musk compared the company’s Model S’s autopilot system to that of the software being used to fly airplanes. However, there is an expectation of human oversight that does remain. “We’re not yet at a stage where you can go to sleep and wake up at your destination,” Musk explained in that interview.