The Apple Vision Pro was released this February 2nd, and people are already exhibiting what it can do. One decided to use the VR headset while in Tesla's assisted driving mode, and US government officials were not too happy about the stunt.
Tesla Driver Becomes Viral
It doesn't take a genius to know that a driver must be attentive to their surroundings when they're on the road, but some people still decide to ignore this practice. A Tesla driver, in particular, decided to test out the new Apple Vision Pro while driving a vehicle.
The video demonstrating how the driver was gesturing with his hands while using the headset mid-drive went viral on TikTok, and was noticed by US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The official issued a reminder on social media regarding the issue.
"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," said the US Transporation secretary, as reported by The Guardian.
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. https://t.co/OpPy36mOgC
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) February 5, 2024
This is already a known protocol. Even Tesla instructs its drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, even when they are using the Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving features of the electric vehicle.
In case you don't know, the way the Apple Vision Pro works is that you can still see your surroundings as you wear it while windows of apps and sites float in real space. You can even scale them to the size you are comfortable with.
While this allows the user to see ahead, it's still not advisable to multi-task as it takes away the attention of the driver from the road. This prevents them from acting accordingly when issues arise and they suddenly need to take the wheel.
Apple Already Advised Against It
When using a new device, especially one that is still relatively new to the mainstream market, a user should always read the user guide provided by the manufacturer. Naturally, Apple released the guidelines online which can be found through a simple search.
Apple explicitly listed that the Apple Vision Pro cannot be used while "operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety," along with other safe practices to ensure that the VR headset does not cause harm.
The company also advised that a user should use the Apple Vision Pro in a controlled environment, meaning that the user should be away from stairs, balconies, railings, glass, mirrors, sharp objects, sources of excessive heat, windows, or other hazards.
Tesla Issued a Recall
Back in December 2023, Tesla issued a recall of over two million vehicles to resolve an Autopilot issue, specifically a software update that will urge drivers to pay more attention to the road despite being in Autopilot mode.
In the software update, additional controls and alerts were included to "further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility." As per CBS News, it also limited the areas where Autosteer can be used.
