Elderly Tesla driver and passenger found asleep on California freeway, car on autopilot

A concerning incident occurred on Highway 4 in Pittsburg, California, when an elderly man and woman were seen asleep in the front seats of a Tesla Model 3, which appeared to be operating in autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode. The video footage, captured by a bystander and shared with KRON 4 news, shows the vehicle continuing down the freeway unattended. Tesla’s autopilot and Full Self-Driving features are designed to assist drivers with lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and urban navigation but explicitly require the driver to remain attentive and ready to take control at all times. Authorities have reported an increase in similar cases, including instances where drivers have been filmed sleeping behind the wheel while the car drove itself. In one previous case, a driver was arrested for sitting in the backseat of their Tesla while it operated autonomously. Experts warn that despite advances in self-driving technology, Tesla vehicles are not fully autonomous, and such behaviour poses a serious safety risk to both occupants and other road users.