Drivers all over the world were torn over this electric car owner's act on a bustling highway in California in the US.
Zooming along a busy highway with every window completely obstructed might seem like the stuff of nightmares for some, but that's exactly the scene one stunned motorist captured an electric vehicle doing on camera earlier this week.
The US-based driver captured a red Tesla Model 3 travelling down Interstate 80 in California, in full autonomous mode, with the occupant -- if there was one -- completely hidden from view. Every piece of exterior glass is obstructed bar the rear window, with the owner of the electric vehicle seemingly going to extreme efforts to keep the sun, or other drivers' wandering eyes out.
After the footage was uploaded to social media, people from all over the world reacted with shock, some branding the sight "laughable" due to the obvious safety risks.
Tesla highway video stuns global drivers
In the video, the front windscreen is entirely blocked by a reflective sun shade, while the rear passenger windows are also plastered over with paper. "I can't believe I just saw this on the highway," the poster wrote beside the vision. Unsurprisingly, people responding were vocal with their thoughts.
"That's it. Licence revoked for life. Car towed," one person commented. "That's laughable, our country doesn't care about bad drivers," another said. One person questioned why the Tesla owner "didn't just get tinted windows" before another interjected, speculating they were "trying to sleep".
On the other end of the spectrum, some praised the vehicle's driving. "This car does a better job of driving than half the people on the road," a person wrote.
"Yeah, to be fair the Tesla was driving fine. Much better than the average driver," a second echoed.
Australia and Tesla's controversial self-driving capabilities
While controversial, Tesla's autonomous driving capabilities are legal in the US, depending on the state (not in California), and some features are in Australia too.
Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y all feature advanced autonomous driving capabilities through their autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. These systems rely on a combination of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and AI-driven software to navigate roads, manage speed, and perform tasks like lane changes, parking, and even highway merges.
Autopilot handles tasks like adaptive cruise control and lane centring, while FSD aims for more advanced functions like automated city driving. Tesla says it regularly updates these systems through over-the-air software updates, "continuously improving their capabilities".
Tesla's autopilot features are available here in Australia, including basic autopilot (which includes traffic-aware cruise control and auto-steer). However, FSD capabilities are limited depending on the jurisdiction.
Some advanced FSD features, like automated city driving and traffic light recognition, are not fully legal here just yet. Tesla owners in Australia can still purchase FSD, but the full suite of features is pending regulatory approval.