The driver fell asleep - the Tesla keeps driving: the disturbing footage that caused a stir
In footage circulated online, a 36-year-old Tesla driver from Migdal HaEmek is seen apparently sleeping while the vehicle continues to drive. The video caused a stir, and the driver was arrested for questioning and released afterward. The police clarify: advanced driver-assistance systems do not allow a driver to relinquish responsibility for driving, and certainly not to fall asleep. "The driver must control the vehicle and be alert at every given moment," it was stated.
A video circulating on social networks shows a Tesla driver who is apparently sleeping while driving. In the footage, the driver is seen with his eyes closed and his head slumped while the vehicle is in motion.
The driver, a 36-year-old from Migdal HaEmek, was arrested and questioned on suspicion of reckless driving and failing to hold the steering wheel with both hands. He was released at the end of the investigation. The footage has once again raised the issue of using advanced assistance systems installed in new vehicles and the line between driver assistance and autonomous driving.
Despite the advanced capabilities of these systems, which can assist in maintaining lane, speed, and distance from other vehicles, the responsibility remains with the person behind the wheel. These features do not turn the car into one that allows the driver to disconnect from what is happening on the road.
The police emphasized that even in a vehicle equipped with advanced driving technologies, the duties imposed on the driver do not change:
"The law in the State of Israel requires drivers to hold the steering wheel with both hands, to control the vehicle, and to be alert at every given moment. This is true even in vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems."
The police further added that these systems do not constitute autonomous driving and do not permit the driver to fall asleep or relinquish responsibility for driving.
