Tesla autopilot allegedly drives sleeping man along I-94; human driver receives citation
Daniel Thompson
KENOSHA COUNTY ⏤ Sunday, a Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department deputy pulled over a Tesla driver on I-94 who was allegedly asleep at the wheel; due to autopilot capabilities, they simply issued him a citation.
No injuries resulted because of the man’s alleged slumber behind the wheel. This, the alleged product of the autopilot taking over, according to a department release.
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The deputy responded to I-94 northbound near the Illinois/Wisconsin state line around 7:51 a.m. Sunday for the report of a sleeping driver.
Pulling alongside the vehicle near Highway 158 on I-94, he looked over and saw that the driver appeared to tbe sleeping.
“According to the deputy, the driver did appear to be asleep noting the driver’s head was down and was not looking at the road,” Sgt. David Wright writes in the release.
Traffic stop
The deputy turned on his lights and sirens; however, at first, the Tesla did not pull over. This continued for approximately two miles at 82 miles per hour through Kenosha County, the department notes.
However, the driver finally noticed the deputy’s attempts to stop him and pulled over around Highway KR.
Upon questioning, the driver ⏤ a 38-year-old man from Palatine, Ill. ⏤ denied falling asleep. While he showed no signs of impairment, he did, however, state that he was tired.
Tesla mandate on autopilot
The department notes that the 2019 Tesla the man drove has autopilot capabilities.
“Tesla mandates that the operator keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times and always maintain control of the vehicle while utilizing the autopilot feature.”
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department
Ultimately, the deputy issued the driver a citation for inattentive driving.