A Tesla driver’s case over sleep while using Autopilot on the highway is going to stand up to dangerous driving in what legal experts first call legal.
Earlier this year, we reported on the Alberta RCMP (Federal Police in Canada) which issued a report on a bizarre incident involving a Tesla vehicle on Autopilot:
‘Alberta RCMP has received a complaint about a car speeding on Highway 2 near Ponoka. The car appears to be self-driving and drives more than 140 km / h with both seats completely backwards and the occupants apparently slept. ”
Tesla’s Autopilot enables virtually autonomous driving on the highway, but drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel and be ready to take control at all times.
The car manufacturer tries to enforce this by requiring drivers to use the wheel at regular intervals, but there are ways to avoid this by adding weights to the steering wheel.
It is unclear if this was what the driver, Leran Cai, a 20-year-old, did in this case.
We reported that the police had prosecuted him for dangerous driving over the incident, and now we have heard that the case is actually going to court.
Global News reported:
” In what Canadian legal experts call an unprecedented case, a BC man is charged with dangerous driving in Alberta after he was allegedly caught sleeping in a self-driving Tesla while driving south on Highway 2 between last summer. Edmonton and Calgary. ”
They added about Cai’s charges:
“In addition to the criminal charge, Cai is accused of speeding, and RCMP said he also received a 24-hour license suspension for fatigue in connection with the alleged July 9 incident in which drivers and police noted that a 2019 Tesla Model S works without a driver in sight. ”
Cai’s next trial appears on January 29, 2021 in Ponoka, and the case will be followed closely, as it could set a precedent.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s going to be fast. Cai obviously abused and dangerous the driver assistance system.
He could possibly try to get away with it by claiming that he thinks Tesla Autopilot is completely autonomous, but it will be hard to claim with all the Tesla alerts about Autopilot, including right when you activate it.
I’m sure you would not be shocked if I told you that Cai has a long history of driving violations, especially for someone who has only been driving for a few years.
According to Global News’ report, he was found guilty of driving without a driving license last year.
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