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Tesla Driver Engages Autopilot on Highway, Goes to Sit in the Back Seats

This is why we can’t have nice things. Of course somebody was going to try this - it’s like giving a kid a can of spray and a lighter and expect him not to turn them into a flame-thrower - but we were hoping they would at least not make a video of it and post it on the web.
Tesla Autopilot from the back seat 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
This way some people are going to see it, imagine they’re in the cars that zip by while our guy enjoys the comfort of the rear seats at 83 km/h (52 mph), and very rightfully freak out and demand action against such behavior.

And since Tesla can’t do a very thorough psychological profile for all its potential clients and turn down those who don’t qualify, the only possible action is limit the functions of the new Autopilot feature. Which is a shame for all the rest.

Tesla might have made a mistake calling its evolved adaptive cruise control system “Autopilot,” as some people were bound to take it literally. After all, we’ve heard about stunts like these even before the basic adaptive cruise was introduced. Hell, a rock on the accelerator pedal and the most elementary cruise control function becomes unneeded.

Just before you angrily scream “God damn it, Russia!,” you should know the video was taken in the very much western country that goes by the name of Holland - also known as the Netherlands. But rest assured that the same thing has happened all over the world, only not everyone thought it was a good idea to post it online. You know, with the police watching and all...

The list of things wrong with what the driver did is endless, but they essentially boil down to just two: in case something went wrong, he wasn’t in a position to do anything about, and second, he doesn’t appear to be wearing a seatbelt, so in the event of an accident, he’d be gracefully flying through the windscreen.

Tesla has already announced they will be making updates that will limit the functioning of its Autopilot features by conditioning the driver to place their hands on the wheel. Which is essentially what the S-Class and Audi A8 have already had for two years.

And this, kids, is how some idiot just cancelled a couple of years of technological advancement.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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