Autopilot mode costs Tesla driver licence

London, April 28: A Tesla owner has been banned from driving for 18 months after he put his vehicle on autopilot before climbing into the passenger seat on the M1.

Bhavesh Patel, 39, was spotted by a driver with his hands behind his head as his car sped along the congested motorway at 40mph.

Pleading guilty to dangerous driving at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, April 20, he admitted he had been ‘ silly’ but said the car was ‘ amazing’ and he was just the ‘ unlucky one who got caught’.

The court heard that just before 8pm on May 21 last year Patel was driving his wife’s white Tesla S 60 along the northbound carriageway of the M1, between junctions 8 and 9 near Hemel Hempstead.

Traffic was heavy due to congestion when Patel switched on the supercar’s autopilot function before moving across to the passenger seat — leaving the steering wheel and foot controls unmanned.

A witness saw Patel, of Alfreton Road, Nottingham sat in the passenger seat with his hands behind his head.

The witness quickly filmed Patel as they passed him on the right.

Investigating officer P. C. Kirk Caldicutt slammed Patel as ‘ grossly irresponsible’, adding his behaviour could have ‘ ended in tragedy’.

He said: ‘ He not only endangered his own life but the lives of other innocent people using the motorway on that day.

“This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar.