Author Topic: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver  (Read 1330 times)

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rangerrebew

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It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver

    Timothy B. Lee 11/30/2018 11:40 pm Categories: Policy View non-AMP version at arstechnica.com


The California Highway Patrol on Friday pulled over a Tesla Model S that was traveling down the road—but whose driver appeared to be asleep at the wheel. The vehicle was traveling southbound on Highway 101 in Palo Alto.

Officers said that they were unable to get the man's attention.

"One of the officers basically ended up going in front of the vehicle and basically tried to slow it down," a California Highway Patrol spokesman told KCBS radio. The process took about seven minutes, and the car traveled for about seven miles before coming to a stop.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/cops-pull-over-tesla-cruising-on-a-freeway-with-apparently-asleep-driver/?amp=1

Offline Fishrrman

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2018, 12:10:05 am »
From the source article:
"In a similar case back in January, police encountered a man asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla car on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. When police woke him up, he insisted that everything was fine because his vehicle was "on autopilot." Unfortunately for him, there's no autopilot exception to drunk-driving laws."

Pulled over for "driving under the influence" (of, presumably, alcohol)?

If he hadn't been drinking, he should have demanded an on-the-spot breathalyzer test.

Offline GtHawk

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2018, 01:05:20 am »
From the source article:
"In a similar case back in January, police encountered a man asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla car on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. When police woke him up, he insisted that everything was fine because his vehicle was "on autopilot." Unfortunately for him, there's no autopilot exception to drunk-driving laws."

Pulled over for "driving under the influence" (of, presumably, alcohol)?

If he hadn't been drinking, he should have demanded an on-the-spot breathalyzer test.
I'd of fought in court, after all if the car was on autopilot he wasn't driving was he? :shrug: I'm sure it won't be too long before some idiot politician demands that there is a kill switch installed on autopilot cars, or all cars for public safety you know, that can be remotely triggered by our friendly peacekeepers/government agents.

Offline Dexter

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2018, 01:24:59 am »
I'd of fought in court, after all if the car was on autopilot he wasn't driving was he? :shrug: I'm sure it won't be too long before some idiot politician demands that there is a kill switch installed on autopilot cars, or all cars for public safety you know, that can be remotely triggered by our friendly peacekeepers/government agents.

Cops will definitely be able to take control of your vehicle in the future.
"I know one thing, that I know nothing."
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Oceander

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2018, 02:04:24 am »
I'd of fought in court, after all if the car was on autopilot he wasn't driving was he? :shrug: I'm sure it won't be too long before some idiot politician demands that there is a kill switch installed on autopilot cars, or all cars for public safety you know, that can be remotely triggered by our friendly peacekeepers/government agents.

He was still driving because he was in charge of the car, and could have taken it out of autopilot at any time.  Since he could do that, the same underlying concerns exist, and thus there is nothing unconscionable about prosecuting him for DUI.

Offline Dexter

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2018, 02:06:04 am »
He was still driving because he was in charge of the car, and could have taken it out of autopilot at any time.  Since he could do that, the same underlying concerns exist, and thus there is nothing unconscionable about prosecuting him for DUI.

True.

I wonder if it'll change with fully self-driving cars. It'd save a lot of lives if drunk people could be driven home by their cars.
"I know one thing, that I know nothing."
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Offline corbe

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2018, 02:34:17 am »
   The Master of Science Fiction prophesized it, again.



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Oceander

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2018, 02:44:02 am »
True.

I wonder if it'll change with fully self-driving cars. It'd save a lot of lives if drunk people could be driven home by their cars.

I think it would come down to whether the person could take control of the vehicle.  If the drunk person could not, then he’s not driving in any meaningful sense.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2018, 05:19:57 am »
Cops will definitely be able to take control of your vehicle in the future.

Not mine, sorry.

Oceander

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2018, 05:34:49 am »
Not mine, sorry.

Yours too.  By hypothesis, if cars must have the functionality that allows the cops to take control of them, then it will be illegal to drive a car that does not have that functionality, either because it was disabled or the car is too old to have it at all. 

That being said, it’s more likely to be the case that only care that have self-driving capabilities will have to have that sort of functionality; although it may become illegal to drive non-auto vehicles on certain roadways like limited access highways. 

Offline roamer_1

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2018, 06:01:29 am »
Yours too.  By hypothesis, if cars must have the functionality that allows the cops to take control of them, then it will be illegal to drive a car that does not have that functionality, either because it was disabled or the car is too old to have it at all. 

That being said, it’s more likely to be the case that only care that have self-driving capabilities will have to have that sort of functionality; although it may become illegal to drive non-auto vehicles on certain roadways like limited access highways.

NOPE. None for me thanks.

Oceander

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2018, 06:29:13 am »
NOPE. None for me thanks.

Like I said, if self-driving cars become common enough, it will become illegal to drive a car that doesn’t have the functionality. 

At which point, your car will simply be taken from you if you persist in driving it. 

Offline roamer_1

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Re: It took seven miles to pull over a Tesla with a seemingly asleep driver
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2018, 06:33:37 am »
Like I said, if self-driving cars become common enough, it will become illegal to drive a car that doesn’t have the functionality. 

At which point, your car will simply be taken from you if you persist in driving it.

Nah... Grandfathered/vintage... Or I will be driving something that is technically a tractor. One way or another, there will be no wireless access to my vehicle, that much is guaranteed.

Not ever going to happen.