While the Autopilot feature on a Tesla has several advantages, people have been getting creative with it, going to the extent of using it to drive them home when they’re too drunk to drive.

However, that could reportedly land one in trouble, since Tesla’s Autopilot system is a driver-assistance system requiring active supervision. In a state of impairment, a driver will not be able to monitor the system while remaining alert.

That means one cannot go to sleep when the Tesla’s Autopilot system is active, especially since it tracks the driver’s eyes to ensure they remain alert.

An incident occurred with a 37-year-old woman, Kimberly Brown, in Florida, who was found intoxicated by nearly twice the legal limit, sleeping in her Tesla on Interstate 75. She depended on the Autopilot system to take her home, which eventually led to her arrest on April 24.

The Tesla Did Not Get Her Home

Brown was found around 2 a.m. in the middle of I-75 in an intoxicated state, asleep behind the wheel of her electric vehicle, according to a report by 6 WBRC.

Florida State Trooper Kenn Watson described the event as dangerous. He said:

“Unfortunately, she was intoxicated more than twice the legal limit and had made the assumption that the Tesla would get her home safely.”

The Tesla Autopilot functions only as long as it can detect the driver’s eyes. With Brown sleeping, the Tesla’s safety feature kicked in as it didn’t detect a human supervising the drive, thereby shutting the vehicle down in the middle of the highway.

The report quoted Alistair Weaver of Edmunds, who said that Tesla’s Autopilot feature detects the driver’s eyes to ensure they are alert and awake. He said:

“You must pay attention. They’re actually monitors within the vehicle that make sure that you’re looking forward and will initially warn you, and then ultimately shut down the car and shut down the system if you’re not paying attention.”

The troopers confirmed that the eye detection feature led Brown’s Tesla to stop in the middle of the highway since it could not detect her eyes.

What Florida’s Rules Say About Sleeping in the Car While Impaired

While there is no statewide law that declares sleeping in a car illegal, where one parks and how matter most, especially if a person is impaired.

According to News 6 Traffic Safety Expert Steven Montiero, best known as Trooper Steve, several cities across Florida are governed by local laws that prohibit sleeping inside vehicles, especially in parking lots, parks, and on public roads.

Getting a quick nap in a rest area might sound like a good option, but since these areas are meant for short breaks and not for overnight stays, a time limit would apply.

Parking in a private area without permission would violate trespassing laws. In addition, sleeping in your car in the driver’s seat with the engine turned off and the keys nearby could attract a DUI charge if alcohol is involved, because you are still in “actual physical control” of the vehicle.

While it is important not to continue driving when you are sleepy behind the wheel, the following points must be kept in mind to ensure you are following the rules in Florida:

• Know the local law of the town or city where you are stopping overnight.

• Make sure you park legally.

• Keep the stop as short as possible to avoid any confrontation.

• Stay out of the driver’s seat if you have consumed alcohol, and don’t keep the keys nearby.