News JVTech Asleep at the wheel, his Tesla launches a chase with the police
Published on 08/01/2023 at 17:20
A drowsy man at the wheel was arrested by police after a 15-minute chase on the highway. The reason: his Tesla in automatic mode continued to flee from the authorities without stopping.
Chase: the police hunt a Tesla… which does not want to stop
We have all had this feeling of fatigue while driving. The dull and regular noise of the car, the rocking music, it is a real danger for the safety of all and we invite you to take a break if these feelings appear. And contrary to what some people think, it is not possible to completely take it easy in a self-driving car.
Whether it’s Tesla or any other electric car that can drive on its own, there are several grades of automation allowed depending on the country or even the region. The highest grade allows the driver to just have to keep your hands on the wheel and stay alert. It is therefore forbidden to start reading a book or watching TV on the device.
The story of the day takes place on December 29, 2022 in the district of Upper Franconia in Germany. In the middle of the day around 12 p.m., on the A70 motorway from Bamberg, a police patrol circulates to maintain order. Everything is going well, and as usual, the police are going to carry out routine checks. So they choose a Tesla car which happens at that time.
All-out fire stop signals are sounded, but after many honks, no reaction. The vehicle becoming officially suspect, therefore launches a pursuit ! But… it is far from being very thrilling, because the “driver” keeps exactly the same speed of 110 km/h. It is by approaching a little more on the side that the police notice that the man at the wheel is lying on his seat, and thathe is simply asleep.
It is after about fifteen minutes that the motorist puts an end to his dream to return to reality and stop his Tesla on the side of the road. But how did he make the car not stop?
A weight to imitate hands on a steering wheel
The police approach the stationary vehicle and rush to question the driver. Even though a Tesla is a self-driving car, it’s mandatory to stay alert and keep your hands on the wheel so it can keep moving forward and handle every situation (even dangerous ones) on its own. Gold, this Tesla continued on its way as the driver tapped his best nap.
The reason for this is simple: clever little guys like this get a counterweight that acts as a subterfuge to imitate a hand placed on the steering wheel. Thus, the Tesla is fooled and continues on its way, ignoring the police on the way. The illicit object is found by the police on the footrest, probably hidden quickly by the motorist at the last moment. The icing on the cake: the suspect presents abnormalities corresponding to taking substances. We can imagine the dirty quarter of an hour he spent at the post.
