Tesla owners have received a reminder to stay focused on the road, as videos featuring drivers donning Apple's virtual reality headset have gained widespread attention.
Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary for Transport, emphasized on X (formerly Twitter) that all existing vehicles mandate drivers to remain actively engaged "at all times."
While some videos depict individuals seated in cars equipped with autonomous mode, wearing Apple headsets over their eyes, one such video was later revealed to be a prank by the driver. Both Tesla and Apple have been approached for comments.
A video reposted by Pete Buttigieg carried the message: "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."
Another video, shared on the day the Apple Vision Pro became publicly accessible, portrayed a man seemingly being pulled over by the police while wearing the headset in a Tesla.
Despite warnings in Apple's user guide against using the headset while driving, and Tesla's insistence that drivers should always "maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle," even in autonomous mode, some users have posted videos of themselves wearing the Apple Vision Pro headset in various settings, such as on the New York subway and at the gym.
The headset, which went on sale in the US on February 2 with a price tag of $3,499 (£2,749), lacks a release date for the UK. While certain modes allow users to see through the glass, it is noted that the headset could significantly impair vision while driving. Apple has refrained from labelling it as virtual reality, opting instead for the term "spatial computing" in its communication with developers.
