With Only a Foot on the Steering Wheel... Tesla Caught Habitually Driving from the Back Seat

Foot on Steering Wheel to Block Alarm
Habitually Driving from Rear Seat
Tesla Says Autopilot Is "Not Fully Automatic"

Sharma was found to have been sitting in the back seat relying on the autopilot function while driving on the highway. / Photo by Instagram Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A man in the United States was caught by police while driving on the highway relying on the autonomous driving feature of a Tesla vehicle without sitting in the driver's seat.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced on the 12th that it arrested Param Sharma (25), who was driving a Tesla Model 3 on the highway without occupying the driver's seat, on charges including reckless driving and disobeying a police officer on the 10th (local time).

According to the CHP investigation, Sharma had previously habitually engaged in "rear seat driving." It was reported that on the 8th, he sat in the back seat while the Tesla's autonomous driving feature was activated.

On the 10th, after receiving multiple reports of a Tesla vehicle driving on the highway without a driver in the seat, the CHP responded and apprehended Sharma on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge section of Highway 80. At the time of arrest, Sharma was sitting in the back seat and reportedly tried to move to the front seat upon seeing the police.

Param Sharma, a man in his 20s, was arrested on the 10th on a highway in California, USA, on charges including reckless driving. / Photo by Facebook

Tesla sells its electric vehicles with the 'Autopilot' feature as a standard. However, this feature is not at the level of full autonomous driving. Tesla explains in the vehicle manual posted on its official website that "Autopilot is not a fully automatic system" and "drivers must be prepared to respond to unexpected situations."

To prevent situations where drivers rely on the Autopilot feature and leave the driver's seat, Tesla has installed a system that sounds an alert if the driver's hands are off the steering wheel for an extended period. In Sharma's case, it appears he avoided triggering the alert by sitting in the back seat and extending his foot to touch the steering wheel.

Meanwhile, Sharma was detained in a jail in Alameda County but was released after one day. Afterwards, in an interview with local media, he showed strong faith in the Autopilot feature, saying, "The Tesla is still waiting to be charged," and "I will sit in the back seat."