One Tesla driver in North Carolina was apparently so bored during his commute that instead of paying attention to the road, he decided he would watch a movie instead.
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With the car in autopilot, drivers are afforded some luxuries that other drivers just don't get. Like being able to take your feet off the pedals and your hands off the wheel. However, this should not justify you taking your eyes off the road.
This driver must have had the utmost confidence in his Tesla. So much so that he decided to kick back and watch some Netflix while his car did all the heavy lifting, so to speak.
Unfortunately for the driver, while they were peacefully enjoying their film, the car ended up slamming into another vehicle. Not just any other vehicle either. A police cruiser, that was responding to a previous crash. According to 1st Sgt. Jeff Wilson of N.C. State Highway Patrol the Tesla slammed into a Nash Country Sheriff's Office deputy's vehicle, which then was sent into a state trooper's vehicle.
The driver of the Tesla, Devainder Goli, was charged with violating the move-over law and watching television while operating a vehicle. Perhaps he'll think twice the next time he decides to leave his life and the lives of others, in the hands of his Tesla.
While it clearly states on Tesla's website:
Autopilot enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane... current Autopilot features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.
While the technology is undoubtedly amazing and hands a variety of complex information, this does by no means mean you should be trusting your life to it. Not unlike the man who decided to take a snooze while his Telsa took the wheel. There have been numerous other crashes caused by Tesla's Autopilot which should already set off a warning in any Tesla owner's head.
