Self Driving Vehicles

[Carruthers]

Canada Tesla driver charged over 'napping while speeding'

A Canadian man has been charged with dangerous driving for allegedly taking a nap while his self-driving Tesla car clocked up more than 90mph (150km/h).

Police said both front seats were fully reclined, and the driver and passenger were apparently asleep when they were alerted to the incident in Alberta.

When police turned on emergency lights and other vehicles moved out of the way, the Tesla Model S sped up.

The 20-year-old driver from British Columbia is due in court in December.

He had initially been charged with speeding and handed a 24-hour licence suspension for fatigue, but was subsequently charged with dangerous driving.

The incident happened near Ponoka, some 100km south of Edmonton, in July.

"Nobody was looking out the windshield to see where the car was going," Police Sgt Darri Turnbull told CBC News.

He said that when they put on their emergency lights the Tesla accelerated, with vehicles ahead of it moving out of the way.

"Nobody appeared to be in the car, but the vehicle sped up because the line was clear in front."

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My new car has an element of autonomy but I'm not sure that I like it.

It has 'Adaptive Cruise Control' which, apart from the self-explanatory CC bit, also keeps a set distance from a vehicle in front to the extent that it will brake to bring the car to a halt if there is a traffic queue.

It also has the ability to keep the car within its lane.

I've only done about 300 miles and, in all fairness, most of the roads around here don't lend themselves to the use of cruise control, but I'm quite uncomfortable with the technology.

I find that the mental energy used to monitor and keep on top of the damned thing, is far greater than that required to simply drive it manually.

I can't imagine experience changing that very much if at all.

Perhaps the chap in the Tesla would like to tell me how he does it!