Funny scene on a German autobahn. The driver of a Tesla had switched to automatic mode and fell asleep at the wheel, at 110 km/h.
According to a press release by the Bavarian police, the crime happened on Wednesday, December 28, on the A70 motorway between Bamberg and Bayreurth, north of Nuremberg (Bavaria). Around noon, traffic police checked a 45-year-old motorist who was driving a Tesla. But despite the signals and acoustic warnings, the driver does not stop and drives on at 110 km/h. Challenged by the fact that the car is traveling at a constant speed, the police find the driver lying down, his hands on the steering wheel and… his eyes closed! They then suspect him of triggering the car’s autopilot. A scene that was already seen in the USA in particular in 2019.
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After a quarter of an hour of pursuit and warnings, the man wakes up and follows the instructions of the police. “He showed typical signs of drug use,” the statement said. Officers also found a steering wheel counterweight on the floor. This device is attached to the steering wheel to trick the vehicle’s security system into pretending that your hand is on the wheel.” For the car, therefore, the driver was not asleep. Tesla states on its website that Autopilot can include cruise control, course keeping, automatic lane changes, traffic sign control, etc.
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The driver’s license was temporarily revoked and an investigation into endangering road traffic was initiated.