Tesla driver snoozes while Autopilot steers

By Stephen Edelstein Published May 27, 2016

“Autopilot” does not mean “no pilot.” Tesla’s Autopilot autonomous-driving system can do many things, but it still requires an attentive human at the controls. That’s an important detail that was apparently lost on this guy.

This Model S driver apparently nodded off as the car crept through traffic with Autopilot engaged. A video posted to YouTube by Electrek shows that he’s not exactly in the right condition to take the wheel should a problem arise. If this driver had fallen asleep in a regular car the result would have been an instant fender bender, at a minimum, but then again he might not have been tempted to do so if the car wasn’t equipped with Autopilot.

Recommended Videos

Numerous examples of people overestimating Autopilot’s capabilities and the near-disasters that have resulted already populate the internet. Autopilot doesn’t turn a Tesla Model S or Model X into a self-driving car, and so the driver cannot mentally check out. Tesla has said drivers should keep their hands on the wheel at all times, and remain alert.

Read more: Tesla Model S driver blames crash on Autopilot

Some Tesla drivers, however, have shown a remarkable amount of confidence in a system the company itself considers to be in the “public beta” stage. In its current form, Autopilot is primarily designed to work in dense traffic on roads with clear lane markings. Tesla plans to further improve and tweak the system with software updates, but for now its capabilities are somewhat limited.

If the system decides a human driver should take over, it will emit sounds and display visible warning messages. If the driver is literally asleep at the wheel, like the person in this video, then the car will turn on its hazard lights and attempt to maneuver to the right shoulder where it will stop. It would be interesting to see how the system would accomplish that if, say, the car was in the middle lane with heavy traffic in the right lane leaving no gap.

Self-driving cars for the everyday consumer may eventually become a reality, but for now, humans are still in charge of driving. Today’s driver aids and autonomous systems are very clever, but they are not substitutes for an attentive human at the wheel.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Topics

Cars

Order an Uber and a self-driving Mustang might show up

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Ordering an Uber in London could come with a surprise today. Instead of a conventional car and driver pulling up, you might find a Ford Mustang Mach-E that can drive itself. Uber has launched London's first public robotaxi service in partnership with British autonomous driving company Wayve. The service is available through the Uber app, meaning you don't need to download anything new or book a special type of ride to try it.

There is one important caveat. Although the cars will handle the driving themselves, a trained safety operator will initially sit behind the wheel, ready to intervene if necessary. Fully driverless rides are planned for a later stage. The launch fleet consists of electric Mustang Mach-Es equipped with cameras, radar, and Wayve's AI Driver technology. These systems give the vehicle a 360-degree view of what's happening around it. And if anywhere can put that technology through its paces, London seems like a pretty good candidate.

Cars

Range Rover Electric arrives with 543hp, 600km range, and a starting price of the moon

The electric Range Rover is here, and your wallet may need CPR

Range Rover EV

The Range Rover has never been shy about luxury, size or price, and its first fully electric version is carrying that tradition into the EV era. Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) first battery-electric Range Rover is now open for orders, starting at £154,070, or about $208,420. That makes it one of the most expensive electric SUVs on the market.

The electric model costs almost £50,000 more than the standard combustion-engine Range Rover. It is priced in the same territory as the electric Mercedes-Benz G 580 and not far from ultra-luxury gasoline SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga.

Cars

A solar ambulance has successfully tackled 500 miles of difficult terrain

Stella Juva

For years, solar-powered vehicles have largely lived in the world of prototypes, university projects and ambitious demonstrations. Now, one has completed the kind of test that matters far more than a flashy concept reveal: it drove hundreds of miles through difficult terrain while carrying medical equipment and generating enough electricity to operate independently.

Called Stella Juva, the vehicle was developed by Solar Team Eindhoven, a group of 23 students from Eindhoven University of Technology and two other educational institutions. According to a CNN report, the team describes it as the world's first solar ambulance. Unlike a conventional ambulance, however, Stella Juva is designed less to rush patients to hospitals and more to bring medical care to people who cannot easily reach it.