Although automakers have continued to make tremendous strides in vehicle safety over the years, more than 1 million people are killed in road traffic crashes around the globe every year, according to the World Health Organization.
One of the leading causes of those accidents is driver error.
What's happening?
As InsideEVs reported, one Tesla owner caused a bit of a stir when she uploaded a now-deactivated video of herself sitting in the driver's seat of their moving vehicle.
She also appeared to be enjoying her fast food meal while keeping her hands completely off the wheel as her Tesla Model Y was active in Autopilot.
Her post was a part of a growing TikTok trend that encourages Tesla drivers to eat their food or drink their non-alcoholic beverages while their Autopilot does all the work. Many of the uploads feature a driver who may not always have their eyes on the road.
In one post still available to view on TikTok, user Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins2) can be seen using both of their hands to eat their meal while they cruise down the road.
"Something about eating while Tesla Autopilot drives just feels like peak luxury," wrote the TikToker in the post.
Despite the actions in the video, the TikToker attempted to warn viewers from duplicating the risky behavior.
"Disclaimer: Tesla Autopilot does not replace a fully attentive driver. As you can see my eyes are always on the road, ready to take over," added Judkins.
Why is Tesla's self-driving technology important?
To use Tesla's Full Self-Driving or Autopilot features, the company asks its drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and pay attention to the road at all times. This policy was implemented to ensure that all drivers would be able to take immediate action and disengage the system.
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They're better than gas cars 🔌 In a study published in the journal Frontiers, a team of researchers took a closer look at the overall experience of drivers who participated in Tesla's FSD Beta as well as seasoned Autopilot users already on the road.
What they discovered was that many Autopilot users may become complacent over time, leading to potential safety-critical behaviors like eating or using their phone, despite Tesla's "hands on the wheel" requirement.
However, due to the new technology used in the FSD Beta, some drivers felt an increased burden while inside the vehicle.
"In comparison to Autopilot, FSD Beta increased workload as unfinished automated driving technology and the corresponding need to constantly supervise the system, being prepared to take over control anytime as the system may do the wrong thing at the worst time," reads the study.
What's being done about Tesla's FSD?
Earlier this year, France's General Directorate for Competition Policy issued a warning to Tesla regarding how the company had marketed its FSD technology to prospective drivers.
The agency claims that despite Tesla previously acknowledging the limitations of FSD, it produced advertisements that alluded to a truly "hands-free" experience for drivers.
In addition to facing potential fines in France, Tesla was also ordered to pay $243 million after a jury determined that the electric vehicle manufacturer was at least partly responsible for a 2019 fatal crash.
The accident occurred when an SUV was struck by a Tesla Model S that had its Autopilot feature engaged.
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