"The Autopilot feature in Tesla vehicles can be tricked into operating without a driver, an influential consumer magazine in the US has found.
Consumer Reports engineers looked into claims that Autopilot can operate without a driver present.
They tested the Model Y on a closed track and concluded the system could be "easily tricked".
It comes days after a fatal Tesla crash in Texas. Police believe no one was in the driver's seat.
Tesla's Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system that Tesla says "enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel".
The Consumer Reports team said they successfully - and repeatedly - tricked the car into driving their test track with no one in the driver's seat.
"In our evaluation, the system not only failed to make sure the driver was paying attention, but it also couldn't tell if there was a driver there at all," said Consumer Reports auto testing director Jake Fisher.
"It was a bit frightening when we realized how easy it was to defeat the safeguards, which we proved were clearly insufficient."
Tesla's website says the Autopilot system requires a "fully attentive driver" and using the system does not make the car autonomous.
Some of the safety requirements for Autopilot mode include: keeping the driver's hands on the steering wheel, buckling the seatbelt and not opening any doors......"
https://www.bbc.co.u...nology-56854417