The case of a Tesla driver sleeping while using autopilot on the highway goes to trial for dangerous driving in what legal experts are calling legal first.
Earlier this year, we reported on the Alberta RCMP (Canadian Federal Police) issuing a report on a strange incident involving a Tesla vehicle on autopilot:
“Alberta RCMP received a complaint about a speeding car on Highway 2 near Ponoka. The car seemed to drive alone, traveling more than 140 km / h with the two front seats fully reclined and the occupants appeared to be sleeping. “
Tesla’s autopilot allows virtually autonomous driving on the highway, but drivers must keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take control at all times.
The automaker tries to ensure this by requiring drivers to apply light torque to the steering wheel at frequent intervals, but there are ways to get around this by adding weights to the steering wheel.
It is not clear whether that is what the driver, Leran Cai, 20, did in this case.
We inform you that the police have criminally accused you of driving dangerously due to the incident and we now know that the case is actually going to court.
Global news reports:
“In what Canadian legal experts are calling an unprecedented case, a British Columbia man was accused of driving dangerously in Alberta after being caught sleeping in a Tesla he was driving alone as he accelerated south on Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary last summer. “
They added on Cai’s accusations:
“In addition to the criminal charge, Cai is accused of speeding and RCMP said he also received a 24-hour license suspension due to fatigue in connection with the alleged July 9 incident, in which drivers and police noticed a Tesla Model S 2019 operating without a driver in sight. ”
Cai’s next court hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2021, in Ponoka, and the case will be closely monitored as it may set a precedent.
Electrek’s Take
I think it will be quick. Cai was obviously abusing the driver assistance system and being dangerous.
He could try to get away with claiming that he thought Tesla Autopilot was fully autonomous, but that would be difficult to say with all of Tesla’s notices about Autopilot, including when you activate it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t be shocked if I said that Cai has a long history of driving violations, especially for someone who has been driving for just a few years.
According to the Global News report, he was convicted of driving without a driver’s license last year.
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