Tesla in recent times has come under pressure when accidents involving its electric vehicles occur. The Autopilot has most times been fingered as the proximate cause of several crashes. However, the recent story from Norway gives a more rounded perspective on the importance of this technological and safety feature in EVs.

A Tesla driver in Norway who decided to drive while under the influence of alcohol has been saved from a possibly fatal crash. The driver fell asleep while behind the wheels of his Model S EV, but the Autopilot which was operational at the time carefully navigated the vehicle to a halt.

The Autopilot provides a safety net while driving as it uses a slew of technologies to provide navigational guidance to the driver. The incident happened in Norway’s eastern district last weekend.

Some part of the incident is believed to have been filmed, as other motorists watched the 24-year old man sleeping on the wheels while the Model S was in motion. The car then successfully parked by the roadside while the man remained unconscious, as onlookers tried to wake him up from his sleep.

The local police later arrived at the scene and established that the driver was drunk. The name of the man has not been mentioned. The police also released a public statement on the incident. The man had denied he was driving the vehicle at the time he was picked.

The Autopilot is often misunderstood and misused by drivers of Tesla’s EVs leading to sometimes deadly crashes. It is a driver-assist system and not a self-driving one. When activated, it regularly sends signals to the driver to hold the steering wheel. When these signals are repeatedly ignored, the car will navigate to a stop in a safe position.

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