This shocking footage shows the moment a Tesla driver was caught on camera apparently sleeping at the wheel with his car on autopilot.
The video, which emerged on social media, appears to show the unidentified driver of the Tesla Model S blue nodding off during a traffic jam on a busy motoroway.
Some commenters have questioned whether the incident is genuine, though all Tesla Model S cars have an inbuilt semi-autonomous system which allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel.
The system uses cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and data to automatically steer, change lanes, and adjust speed in response to traffic to avoid hazards and reduce the driver’s workload.
Motorists are still advised to pay attention to the road, however, as the car only takes over "safety-critical functions".
But this presumably sleepy driver decided to put his faith in the car's autopilot technology.
The clip has since been posted to YouTube where some users have branded the driver a "moron".
But despite the potential dangers, others glossed over the implications of the man's nap, with many hailing Tesla's Model S as the "future" of driving.
One YouTube commenter said: "This is technically what we all want."
While another said: "Now thats technology! the future is here! No more stop and go traffic!"
According to Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, the autopilot feature is 50 per cent safer than a human driver.
Speaking at an energy conference in Oslo, he said: "The probability of having an accident is 50 per cent lower if you have Autopilot on.
"Even with our first version, it's almost twice as good as a person."
Tesla's autopilot cars have driven 47 million miles since they were launched in October 2015.
However, the major car firm still has some way to go to convince regulators the autopilot setting is "definitively" safer.
Watch the video below:
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