Tesla drivers using VR headsets prompt US government alarm
Tesla owner for driving on the highway while wearing new Apple Vision headset
Over the weekend, viral footage of people driving Teslas while wearing Apple’s Vision Pro headsets sparked concern, causing authorities to issue warnings against the practice.
Shortly after its release, people were spotted piloting Tesla cyber trucks while wearing Vision Pro headsets.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg replied Monday to a video of a guy driving a Tesla cybertruck and waving with his hands to navigate a virtual reality field.
The video received more than 25 million views on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Another video of a man getting out of his Tesla while using an Apple smartphone has become popular on social media.
“Reminder – all advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times,” Mr Buttigieg said on X.
Reminder—ALL advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times. pic.twitter.com/OpPy36mOgC
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) February 5, 2024
Apple’s Vision Pro, priced at $3,499 (£2,470), debuted last week and combines three-dimensional digital information with a view of the outside world.
Apple has positioned the new headgear as a significant advancement in its platforms, claiming that it is more than simply an augmented reality gadget, but the first glimpse of a new paradigm known as “spatial computing”.
The firm said at the time of its release that it should never be used while driving a “moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.”
Apple Vision Pro Combined with Tesla Self Driving is Peak Multitaskingpic.twitter.com/qVrpOixAV8
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 3, 2024
The “dangerous” viral videos have alarmed road safety associations. “You can’t be doing that while you are driving,” said David Reich, spokesperson for the National Road Safety Foundation.
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“The idea of anyone using them when not in a self-driving car would be disastrous,” he was quoted by The Telegraph as saying. “You have to focus on driving; this is the task at hand. This seems to me like a major distraction,” he added.
