LONDON: An Indian-origin Tesla owner who was once filmed stress-free within the passenger seat after placing his supercar into autopilot mode on a busy UK freeway has been banned from riding for 18 months.
Bhavesh Patel was once noticed leaning again along with his palms at the back of his head beside an empty driver's seat as his Tesla S60 cruised at about 40mph alongside the M1 toll road near Hemel Hempstead final yr.
The 39-year-old pleaded in charge to one count of dangerous riding and was once handed down the riding ban, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid group paintings and go through a 10-day rehabilitation programme.
He was once additionally directed to pay 1,800 pounds in court prices to the United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) at a listening to previous this month.
"What Patel did was grossly irresponsible and could have easily ended in tragedy," investigating officer Kirk Caldicutt, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, advised the 'Shropshire Star'.
"This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar. I want to stress that they are in no way a substitute for a competent motorist in the driving seat who can react appropriately to the road ahead," he stated.
At St Albans Crown Court on April 20, Patel admitted that the stunt in May final yr had been foolish, however insisted that he was once merely "the unlucky one who got caught" testing the "amazing" feature at the automobile.
Britain's street investigators were advised through Tesla engineers that the autopilot serve as, including traffic-aware cruise keep watch over and auto-steer, was once only meant to lend a hand a "fully attentive driver".
But Patel selected to change at the autopilot serve as prior to transferring across to the passenger seat and leaving the steerage wheel and foot controls completely unmanned whilst his GBP 70,000 automobile was once in motion. A witness, who was once a passenger in every other automobile, filmed Patel as the auto drove past.
Footage of the incident was once first posted on social media prior to it was once reported to police and a Notice of Intended Prosecution was once then despatched to Patel within the post prior to he was once interviewed at a police station.
Bhavesh Patel was once noticed leaning again along with his palms at the back of his head beside an empty driver's seat as his Tesla S60 cruised at about 40mph alongside the M1 toll road near Hemel Hempstead final yr.
The 39-year-old pleaded in charge to one count of dangerous riding and was once handed down the riding ban, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid group paintings and go through a 10-day rehabilitation programme.
He was once additionally directed to pay 1,800 pounds in court prices to the United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) at a listening to previous this month.
"What Patel did was grossly irresponsible and could have easily ended in tragedy," investigating officer Kirk Caldicutt, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, advised the 'Shropshire Star'.
"This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar. I want to stress that they are in no way a substitute for a competent motorist in the driving seat who can react appropriately to the road ahead," he stated.
At St Albans Crown Court on April 20, Patel admitted that the stunt in May final yr had been foolish, however insisted that he was once merely "the unlucky one who got caught" testing the "amazing" feature at the automobile.
Britain's street investigators were advised through Tesla engineers that the autopilot serve as, including traffic-aware cruise keep watch over and auto-steer, was once only meant to lend a hand a "fully attentive driver".
But Patel selected to change at the autopilot serve as prior to transferring across to the passenger seat and leaving the steerage wheel and foot controls completely unmanned whilst his GBP 70,000 automobile was once in motion. A witness, who was once a passenger in every other automobile, filmed Patel as the auto drove past.
Footage of the incident was once first posted on social media prior to it was once reported to police and a Notice of Intended Prosecution was once then despatched to Patel within the post prior to he was once interviewed at a police station.
Indian-origin Tesla owner banned for using autopilot on UK highway
![Indian-origin Tesla owner banned for using autopilot on UK highway]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
April 30, 2018
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