It’s Not the Smartest Idea to Have Your Mom Film You Violating the Law
Tesla promotes is Autopilot Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) as being safe for drivers. The system is designed to help drivers keep control of their vehicles and respond to emergencies. The ADAS system can take complete control of a vehicle – but it’s not supposed to do that. Drivers are supposed to still have their hands on the wheel ready to override and respond to any traffic emergencies.
What Tesla and law enforcement don’t anticipate is that someone will film themselves allowing the ADAS to take over the car while the driver is preoccupied with other activities. Yet, that is one young man recently did, with the help of his mother of all people, according to a story in The Drive.
A social media influencer, Jonathan Cox, had his mother film him “pretending to sleep at the wheel of a Tesla Model 3 for TikTok.” The video was posted on TikTok and linked to his Instagram account. A longer version of the video was then posted on YouTube. In the YouTube video, Cox activated the Autopilot feature and “wrapped a weighted band around the steering wheel” to prevent the Autopilot from disengaging. Essentially, the Autopilot thinks the human is still ready at the steering wheel because of the weighted object. Cox was then filmed by his mother showing that his eyes were closed while the car was traveling at highway speeds – as noted by the passing traffic. The posts then show him completely out of the driver’s seat – with the driver’s seatbelt buckled.
A second video by his mother shows Cox pretending to be asleep in the back seat. The videos were viewed by numerous people on his social media platforms. Another video shows film of “the steering wheel from the back seat with Autopilot set at interstate speeds.”
Why the behavior may be negligent AND criminal
Tesla does require that drivers who use its Autopilot features keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on traffic. Failure to comply with these requirements violates the law. If a car accident did occur, Mr. Cox and drivers who fail to use Autopilot:
- Could be charged with violation of Washington’s traffic laws
- Could be named defendants in a personal injury claim
- Could be named defendants in a wrongful death claim
It’s expected that Tesla will restrict Cox’s Autopilot feature. It’s not expected that they will take other actions unless lawsuits hold people like Mr. Cox AND Tesla accountable for the injuries or deaths they cause.
At Philbrook Law Office, our Vancouver, WA car accident lawyers file lawsuits against drivers and owners whose negligence causes an accident. Our criminal defense lawyers defend drivers who are charged with serious traffic offenses. To discuss your rights, call our offices in Vancouver or Battle Ground, WA at 360-695-3309 or fill out our contact form to make an appointment.
Founding Attorney Matthew Philbrook attended Clark College, Washington State University, and Gonzaga University School of Law. He is a member of the Washington State and Oregon State Bar Associations and started Philbrook Law Office in 2005. He specializes in Personal Injury, DUI and Criminal Defense cases. Learn more about Mr. Philbrook.