Sydney M2 Tesla footage shows driver appearing asleep behind wheel of self-driving car
Shocking footage has emerged of a man appearing to be snoozing in the driver’s seat while travelling on a major Aussie motorway.
Shocking footage has emerged of a man appearing to fall asleep behind the wheel of a self-driving car while travelling on a major Sydney motorway.
The video shared on Facebook shows a white Tesla hurtling down the M2 as a man sitting in the driver’s seat appears to have his eyes closed and head slumped back.
The motorist filming the incident from one lane over blasted his horn and shouted at the driver to wake up, prompting the Tesla driver to suddenly grip the steering wheel and gesture apologetically toward the camera.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Hey, wake up, hey,” the person behind the camera can be heard shouting.
The Nightly does not suggest the man is guilty of any offence, only that he appeared to be asleep at the wheel.
Tesla introduced its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software to eligible vehicles late last year, allowing cars fitted with the company’s newer Hardware 4 System to perform tasks such as lane changes and steering.
The system is not recognised in Australia as fully autonomous technology, with transport authorities classifying it as an advanced driver assistance feature, meaning drivers are legally required to remain alert and in control of a vehicle at all times.
A similar incident happened in Perth, WA, earlier this month when a clip appeared to show a woman getting some shut eye at the wheel with the engine running.
The moment was captured by a friend of motorist William Paterson, who said he got out of his car to investigate after seeing the car “swerving over the road” before it came to a step at an intersection in Perth’s northern suburbs.
When he approached the vehicle, Mr Paterson allegedly saw a woman who appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat.
“We waited for a minute before we realised that the car was not moving despite there being no traffic. I got out of the car and found a woman in the driver’s seat,” Mr Paterson said.
But things took a strange turn when the woman awoke from her snooze.
“I went up to her and said ‘excuse me’, I did not shout, but I obviously startled her as she woke up in fright and screamed at me, then drove off,” Mr Paterson said.
Mr Paterson speculated the driver had her foot resting on the brake because when she opened her eyes, the car started moving again.
“You can see this in my friend’s footage ... you can see the car brake lights turn off and the car move off,” he said.
