A San Francisco man who made a name for himself by sharing videos of himself riding in the backseat of his Tesla on autopilot was recently arrested for the stunt. But, despite his brief time in prison, Param Sharma remained unfazed. According to KTVU, he repeated the stunt after his release, driving up for an interview with the news organization in the backseat of a brand-new Tesla on Wednesday with no one in the driver's seat.
He was seen "riding in the backseat of a Tesla driving on Bay Area roadways, with no other person sitting in the driver seat," according to the California Highway Patrol.
Mr. Sharma was arrested without incident by the Highway Patrol and booked into the Santa Rita Jail on two counts of reckless driving and disobeying a peace officer, according to CBS News.
His time in prison, on the other hand, did little to dampen his appetite for risky behaviour. Mr Sharma was seen in the backseat of a Tesla again on Wednesday. When asked if he had purchased a new vehicle after his first one was impounded by a KTVU journalist, he said, "Yes, I am wealthy as (explicit). I have a lot of money."
The 25-year-old often posts videos on Instagram of himself seated in the backseats of cars, almost on autopilot.
Although Tesla cars come equipped with autopilot, the company and road safety authorities have repeatedly warned against its misuse. "Autopilot is a hands-on driver assistance device that can only be used when the driver is completely focused. It will not turn a Tesla into a self-driving vehicle "According to the website of the electric vehicle manufacturer.
Before enabling autopilot, drivers must agree to keep their "hands on the steering wheel at all times" and to always "maintain control and responsibility for the car."
Autopilot cars must also have someone behind the wheel at all times, according to California law.