A driver in China who fell asleep at the wheel of a speeding self-driving car has been condemned for his dangerous behaviour. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin
BEIJING (SCMP): A man in China who watched a movie and slept while using his car’s self-driving system has sparked a public safety debate.
A video circulating on Weibo shows the driver and his passenger lying in the front seats under blankets, watching a movie and sleeping, while their car raced down the highway at speeds exceeding 110 km per hour.
requires human interaction.
It supports functions such as autonomously entering and exiting highways and changing lanes. To maintain driver control, the car emits an alert if the steering wheel is left unattended for too long.
Mainland media outlet Modern Express reported that the car involved is a Zeekr electric vehicle.
The driver jammed a plastic bottle into the steering wheel to trick the self-drive system. - Photo: Weibo
Zeekr staff said that their self-driving system, the Navigation Zeekr Pilot (NZP), launched in 2023 as a highway driving aid, is not fully autonomous but rather a driver assistance feature that requires human interaction.
It supports functions such as autonomously entering and exiting highways and changing lanes. To maintain driver control, the car emits an alert if the steering wheel is left unattended for too long.
However, the man circumvented this safety alarm by placing a bottled beverage on the steering wheel to trick the system into believing it was being held.
The driver’s identity and the distance travelled has not been disclosed.
Traffic authorities warned that the driver could face legal consequences for any accidents resulting from his recklessness.
In China, such offences can lead to a licence suspension, fines of up to 2,000 yuan (US$283) up to 15 days in detention, and potentially criminal charges in severe cases.
On October 3, Zeekr’s chief marketing officer, Guan Haitao, responded on Weibo.
China has seen a number of cases in which drivers misuse self-driving technology in vehicles. - Photo: Shutterstock
“We appreciate the trust users place in Zeekr’s smart driving capabilities, but strongly discourage the behaviour shown in the video,” said Guan.
He emphasised that the system was designed to minimise driving fatigue and urged drivers to comply with regulations and safety standards while using it.
The incident quickly made headlines on mainland social media, with related topics attracting more than 46 million views on Weibo.
One online observer said: “This driver is too careless, treating the system as if it is fully autonomous.”
“Even autonomous driving poses significant risks. The technology isn’t mature enough yet. A mishap could be disastrous,” added another.
“His car is a ticking time bomb on the road. His licence should be revoked, and he should never be allowed to drive again,” a third person said.
China has seen a number of cases in which drivers misuse self-driving technology in vehicles. Photo: Shutterstock
In China, autonomous driving technology has been widely adopted. By 2023, the market for such vehicles had reached 138 billion yuan (US$20 billion).
The China Society of Automotive Engineers forecasts that 70 per cent of the cars sold in China in 2030 will have advanced driver-assistance technology and another 20 per cent will be completely driverless.
There have been many reports of drivers over-relying on intelligent driving features and causing accidents.
In August, a vehicle in eastern China’s Zhejiang province using such a system failed to turn or brake at a roundabout, crashing straight into a roadside barrier and slightly injuring the driver. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST/ANN
