Tesla saves drunk driver when the car realizes he has passed out

Norway – Police responded to a car pulled over in a tunnel to find out that the driver was passed out drunk. Video from a fellow motorist showed that the Tesla realized the driver was no longer interacting and slowed itself to a stop.

A 24-year-old man was passed out drunk at the wheel of his Tesla, but thankfully the car pulled itself to a stop (stock image).
A 24-year-old man was passed out drunk at the wheel of his Tesla, but thankfully the car pulled itself to a stop (stock image).  © 123RF/ melpomen

On Friday, Norwegian police responded to early morning calls from motorists that a car had come to a stop inside a tunnel.

A video posted to Twitter by the account Tesla Saves Lives shows a clip submitted by a motorist who filmed the white Tesla Model S going 62 miles per hour down a highway, but the driver was slumped over, completely unconscious!

Thanks to the Autopilot feature, when the 24-year-old driver failed to use the steering wheel, look ahead, or respond to repeated warnings from the car, the Model S was able to slow to a stop and put on hazard lights, though a tunnel was a particularly dangerous choice.

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According to Elektrek, the car likely was unable to pull over to a safer spot on the side of the road because of the person in the car who was filming the Tesla, blocking off access to a safe shoulder.

When police arrived, they managed to wake up the man at the wheel, who insisted he had not been driving. They administered a breathalyzer test and with the help of the bystander's footage, were able to revoke the man's license.

Tesla drivers have attempted to argue in the past that their cars were driving, and they were therefore not in violation of drunk driving laws. However, there is no car currently legally allowed on the road with full self-driving capabilities, though Tesla's autopilot does edge closer.

Model S Teslas made before 2021 do not have the controversial cabin cameras to monitor driver attentiveness, unlike the Model 3 and Y.

Cover photo: 123RF/ melpomen

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