Gary Zhou 
The California Highway Patrol is looking into an incident involving a Tesla that was spotted on an Oakland freeway with no driver and a lone passenger in the backseat.
The California Highway Patrol’s Golden Gate Division reported on Facebook over the weekend about a “unusual incident involving a Tesla.” “The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been made aware of an incident involving a man riding in the backseat of a Tesla traveling on Bay Area roadways, with no other person being seated in the driver seat. The CHP received a report of the incident as third-hand information, and it is under investigation,” the CHP wrote in its article.
Last week, a commenter on CHP’s post said he saw the man in the same spot on E80 near the Ashby exit. The commenter shared, “He was the only person in the car, sitting in the backseat.” The CHP has asked the public to call 9-1-1 if they see anything suspicious in the future.
When he was discovered, the young man was most likely playing with Tesla Autopilot. CHP photos indicate that the driver’s seat belt was fastened, implying that the young man was attempting to fool Tesla Autopilot into functioning without a human driver at the wheel. This is a clear breach of Tesla’s Autopilot’s proper use, which allows drivers to remain alert and hold their hands on the wheel in case they need to take control of the car.
Surprisingly, Consumer Reports published a walkthrough a few weeks ago about how to fool Autopilot by using a defeat device and making some reckless decisions. Some Tesla owners were worried that others would want to repeat Consumer Reports’ “experiment,” and their fears seem to have been confirmed by the CHP’s current investigation.
If apprehended, the young man could face charges of reckless driving, specifically California dry reckless, which is described as driving with a deliberate and wanton disregard for the safety of others or their property. According to Shouse California Law, such actions are considered misdemeanors in California, carrying a sentence of at least 5 days in county jail and a fine of $145-$1,000.
Tesla backers, TSLA stockholders, and others have proposed that the EV giant hire a public relations team to deal with accidents like this and educate the public about the correct use of Tesla Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving suite. Many individuals, including the man under investigation by the CHP, have misinterpreted the use of Autopilot. Some Tesla supporters believe the electric vehicle manufacturer should start taking a more constructive position in disseminating accurate information and debunking false claims.
