Safety Attendant Caught Dozing Off While Operating U.S. Robotaxi
Tesla Robotaxi Passengers Express Concern
Witness Account: "He Was Dozing Off for Nearly an Hour"
As Tesla, the American electric vehicle company, has launched its autonomous robotaxi (driverless taxi) service, controversy is growing after footage was released showing a safety attendant falling asleep while the vehicle was in operation.
A safety attendant asleep while riding in a Tesla robotaxi has been caught on camera, sparking controversy. Online community
According to the U.S. science media outlet Futurism on November 18 (local time), a passenger who recently used a Tesla robotaxi in San Francisco posted a complaint on an American online community, stating that "the safety attendant dozed off several times during the ride."
In June, Tesla began offering its autonomous robotaxi service using Model Y vehicles on a limited basis in Austin, Texas, and later expanded the service to San Francisco. Currently, Tesla robotaxis are still operated with a safety attendant on board.
The passenger claimed that the safety attendant dozed off three times while the robotaxi was in motion. In a video recorded by the passenger, the attendant can be seen slumped over and asleep in the driver's seat while the car is moving.
The passenger said, "Each time the vehicle sounded a 'pay attention' safety alert, the attendant would wake up to the sound, and this happened repeatedly." The passenger added, "I reported the incident through the application and said I had video evidence, but I have not received any response."
The passenger also mentioned having used Tesla robotaxis several times in the past, and "at that time, I felt it was safer than regular ride-hailing vehicles." The passenger explained, "I waited for more than a week regarding this issue, but since the company did not respond, I eventually decided to post about it." The passenger expressed concern, saying, "Other users could also be exposed to this risk."
As the controversy spread, additional reports from users with similar experiences emerged. One user said, "I also encountered the same safety attendant, and he was asleep for most of the ride." The user claimed, "I traveled from Temescal, Oakland to San Francisco at 7 a.m., which took about an hour, and the attendant was dozing off almost the entire time."
This incident has raised the possibility that the California state government, which has regulatory authority over robotaxis, may launch an investigation. Currently, Tesla only holds a permit from the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for testing and operating autonomous vehicles on the condition that a safety supervisor is present. Tesla has not received an operating permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates robotaxi services.
In contrast, competitor Waymo holds permits from both the DMV and CPUC. The media outlet pointed out, "Waymo is regarded as being safer than vehicles driven by humans," and analyzed that "this is because Waymo has focused on safety and has gradually expanded its service scope over a long period."
In addition to the safety attendant issue, various safety controversies and lawsuits related to Tesla's Autopilot feature and Full Self-Driving (FSD) system are fueling doubts about the robotaxi service. Tesla has faced multiple lawsuits over traffic accidents involving Autopilot. In September, it was reported that Tesla secretly settled with the family of a teenage boy who died in a 2019 accident involving a Model 3 operating on Autopilot, just before a jury trial was set to begin.
Futurism pointed out, "This incident and previous accident cases seem to be evidence that Tesla does not take safety issues seriously."
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