A Tesla Model 3 sedan with autopilot in a file photo. Connecticut State Police say a 19-year-old from Garden City, N.Y., was arrested after he was asleep at the wheel of a Tesla traveling on autopilot on Interstate 91 early Friday. | David Zalubowski/Associated Press
It’s not a matter of if, but when in IL…
By Christine Dempsey | CT Insider
Friday’s DUI arrest of a 19-year-old slumped over behind the wheel of a Tesla that made its way down the highway on autopilot is believed to be the first of its kind in Connecticut, state police say.
“I think it’s the first one that we’ve seen,” said Connecticut State Police Trooper Daniel Hill.
The New York resident is charged with driving offenses even though he wasn’t touching the steering wheel. That’s because the person in the driver’s seat is in control of the car — or at least is supposed to be, Hill said.
Troopers hope news of the unusual arrest will keep drivers from relying on the high-tech feature if they’re not fit to drive.
Drivers are allowed to use the autopilot feature of the so-called self-driving cars, but “you have to be prepared to hit the gas or the brake at any time,” Hill said. “You still need to be, basically, driving without driving, in a sense.”
The arrest happened early Friday. Shortly before 12:30 a.m., 911 calls started coming in to the Troop H barracks in Hartford about a Tesla traveling far below highway speeds. More callers reported that the driver was slumped over.
More here.
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