An investigation has begun after a video of a dog driving a Tesla on autopilot went viral

Posted:

December 17, 2021 23:53 GMT

The case could be considered animal abuse, as well as a serious traffic offense.

Austin Police (Texas, USA) It started An investigation based on a viral video, showing a dog at the wheel of a Tesla car that was moving through the city in an automatic demo mode.

Blake Messick, an American blogger known for posting silly videos, filmed the scene. in a Interview Through the Electrek Gate, he did not express any concern for the safety of the animal that was bending over the open window of the car. Instead, focus on the fact that the video has attracted a lot of attention from Internet users.

“A lot of my friends make videos for a living so my best guess is someone was able to post them on a project they’re working on,” he said.

The point is, the footage captures a rather dangerous action, given that Tesla’s autopilot isn’t an autonomous drive system, but an aid, which requires the driver to put their hands on the steering wheel and prepare to take the wheel. of unexpected events.

This feature turns off automatically after 30 seconds if no one touches the steering wheel. However, the video ends abruptly at 29 seconds. “There was definitely someone in there,” Messick said. “I’m sure there was someone in the car, yeah, right under the seat or something.”

Local police launched an investigation to identify those responsible. The case could be considered animal abuse, as well as a serious traffic offense.