Tesla Robotaxi Driver Caught Asleep Proves Humans Are Still The Weakest Link

Viral video showing a Robotaxi safety driver who appeared to be asleep in California reignites debate over over autonomous vehicle safety practices

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

As with most things Tesla launches these days, the rollout of its Robotaxi service has been anything but smooth. It began with a high-profile debut in Austin, Texas, back in June, paired with Elon Musk’s trademark overreach that half of the US population would have access by year’s end.

That goal now looks increasingly unlikely, especially when videos surface of Robotaxi safety drivers nodding off behind the wheel, as one did recently in California.

Read: Tesla Robotaxis Are Already Crashing In Austin

The following clip, recently shared on Reddit, shows the safety driver falling asleep at the wheel. The man can be seen dozing off, his head slumped forward, as the Tesla approached an intersection in the Bay Area. He’s jolted awake only when the vehicle’s monitoring system blares a warning chime.

To be totally fair, anyone in his position might eventually drift off too, gently rocked and lulled by the soft hum of an EV that barely needs him there. Then again, that is, quite literally, his job.

Video Reddit

According to the original poster on Reddit, the safety driver fell asleep at least three times during the trip. He says he reported the driver through the Robotaxi app but never got a response, so he decided to share the video on social media.

Are Safety Drivers Still Needed?

Making this incident all the more worrying is the fact that without these safety drivers, Tesla wouldn’t be able to operate its ride-hailing service in California.

You see, unlike in Texas, where the program operates without anyone in the driver’s seat and only a monitor in the front passenger seat, Tesla does not have a permit for driverless autonomous vehicles in California. All of its Robotaxis must have a safety driver behind the wheel.

And that’s not all. Another commenter on the same Reddit thread claimed to have ridden with the same driver, saying he “was like this [dozing off] the entire time” during a one-hour trip from Temescal to San Francisco.