Viral video of Tesla driver wearing Apple Vision Pro headset leads to Buttigieg warning

The Apple Vision Pro headset is displayed in a showroom on the Apple campus Monday, June 5, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Viral footage of a Tesla driver wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset has sparked concern within the Biden administration, leading to a warning from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about proper safety precautions on the road.

“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,” Buttigieg wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

His post came as a reply to a video that garnered more than 25 million views. It purported to show a driver scrolling with the Apple Vision Pro headset while operating a Tesla vehicle, instead of steering the wheel.

Tesla vehicles are not fully automatic and still require a driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel while driving.

Apple also warned users to “never use Apple Vision Pro while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.”

In a statement to Gizmodo, the creator of the video reportedly said he only drove the Tesla with the headset for about 30-40 seconds and claimed the video was a skit.

The Vision Pro, Apple’s first new product in seven years, debuted at $3,500 in the U.S. on Friday. Apple has described it as “a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.”

Tags Department of Transportation Joe Biden Pete Buttigieg Tesla

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