Tesla Cybertruck driver wearing Apple Vision Pro: US government reacts to reckless behaviour

A viral video of the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck wearing an Apple Vision Pro while behind the wheel caused quite a stir two days ago. Since the virtual reality headset launched, some of its first users have been wearing it in various public spaces, from eating in a restaurant to riding the subway.

Whether or not people are bothered by the use of a headset in moments of social interaction is up to them to decide, but at least such scenarios do not pose a risk to the general public. This is in contrast to the driver of a Cybertruck, who was not afraid to use his Vision Pro in traffic and interact with an app in a hands-free manner instead of keeping his hands on the steering wheel.

But it's not just the general distraction of apps or games that's a problem. A sudden defect or failure of the device can be particularly dangerous on the road. The video, which has now been viewed over 25 million times, has even attracted the attention of US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The US government has stepped in to remind drivers that they must always keep their eyes on the road, even in autonomous driving:

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.

- Pete Buttigieg

So the excuse that you switched on the autopilot while driving is a thing of the past. But it is not even autonomous in the case of the Cybertruck. It is true that Tesla offers an "advanced driver assistance system" in some of its electric cars, but this is not to be confused with the fact that the vehicle is able to drive completely autonomously:

Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability are intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are designed to become more capable over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.

- Tesla website