Posted on 12/03/2018 7:52:16 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Two California Highway Patrol Officers came up with a technique on the spot to stop a speeding Tesla Model S with an allegedly drunken driver asleep behind the wheel on the 101 Freeway in Redwood City on Friday, authorities said.
The encounter took place just before 4:30 a.m. on the southbound freeway near Whipple Avenue, the CHP said in a written statement.
The officers saw the car traveling at about 70 mph and realized the driver appeared to be unconscious, officials said. The driver showed no response when the officers activated their emergency lights and sirens while directly behind the Tesla in an attempt to pull it over.
"Officers then positioned their patrol vehicle in front of the Tesla and began slowing directly in front of the Tesla in hoped that the 'driver assist' feature had been activated, and therefore, the Tesla would slow to a stop as the patrol vehicle came to a stop," according to the statement.
They were able to slow the auto-piloted car to a complete stop.
After finally managing to rouse the driver, officers determined he was under the influence of alcohol, CHP officials said. Alexander Samek, 45, of Los Altos was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
"We cannot confirm at this time if the 'driver assist' feature was activated, but considering the vehicle's ability to slow to a stop when Samek was asleep, it appears the 'driver assist' feature may have been active at the time," the statement said.
Otto! We haven’t heard from you in a while. Why the grin?
At this time, ALL self driving cars are legally presented as “assisted driving”, where the human in the driver’s seat MUST be ready & able to take full control at a moment’s notice. Likely won’t start moving with an empty driver’s seat. Ergo, not a cab for drunks.
Tesla cars do not have that capability. Their tech is essentially lane assist.
He should have had a half opened bottle of hard liquor and claimed he didn’t start driving until after he activated the auto-drive.
Apparently active cruise control too.
Imagine the statements in the media the day after an autonomous school bus flips over and kills a dozen or so schoolchildren... it’s coming, fer sure!!
Yep, they can charge you even if you were not in a moving or even started vehicle, if you are in possession of the means to start the vehicle.
/s
Lesson: Stay clear of Teslas and those that drive them.
Kinda in reverse.
“I’m pretty sure in California, simply having the keys and being in the vehicle is enough to make you the driver. Which I’ve been curious about, if the passenger is holding the keys in their purse or pocket, am I really the driver?”
(not from personal experience, thankfully, but from reading about it)
The term is ‘operational control’, and as you can imagine, it’s a VERY LOOSE definition, and for the rare times the government loses cases, they simply loosen the laws further.
So if you’re drunk, and there’s no one sober near you who will claim to be the designated driver, you’re toast. Even if the car is parked in your driveway, even if it is on blocks with the wheels off (true, happened once)...you may win in court in some of the sillier cases, but obviously it won’t be a fun, or cheap, experience.
I think it depends on the state. Years ago when we were teenagers, the story went, if sleeping it off in the car, your best bet was to throw the keys into the weeds somewhere you couldn’t find them.
What I’ve often wondered about as a thought exercise is motorhomes, class A type, or more run of the mill campers and the like. Near as I can figure, if someone is in a campground and drinking around a campfire, they could get a DUI with even car keys in your pocket. Why not? Technically I can’t think of any reason. Especially if drinking and/or drunk in the back. More than one person has received a DUI in their own driveway too, sleeping it off.
Mine comes on when I start the car.
Interesting high end hospitality developers
did they check for weed or other drugs?.....
One of my employees was drunk at a state park sleeping it off and tried to hide his keys
They found them and charged him with DUI and obstruction
90 days
His second DUI in two years
MAAD is a power
“What, no tractor beam?”
They’re working on something similar. The ability of cops to command your car to slow to a stop, via data link.
Faraday cage...
I may have already bought my last vehicle....who knows?
“Near as I can figure, if someone is in a campground and drinking around a campfire, they could get a DUI with even car keys in your pocket. Why not?”
I agree. I don’t know anything in the laws preventing it (assuming that you don’t have a person you can claim as the Designated Driver). So if you and the boys want to get ripped in a campground, probably best to keep the music down...or if you’re with the wife and she needs to use the outhouse, you might want to walk over there with her.
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