Viral videos of Tesla drivers wearing VR headsets while driving sparks alarm

Transportation secretary asks ‘human drivers to be in control and fully engage in driving task at all time’

Viral videos of people driving Teslas wearing Apple's Vision Pro headsets over the weekend have alarmed authorities, prompting them to issue warnings against the trend.

Shortly after its launch, people were seen wearing the Vision Pro headsets while operating Tesla cybertrucks.

US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday responded to a video of a man driving a Tesla cybertruck, who appeared to be gesturing with his hands to manipulate a virtual reality field.

The video garnered over 25 million views on social media X, formerly known as Twitter. Another video of a man stepping out of his Tesla wearing the Apple device has also gone viral on social media.

"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," Mr Buttigieg said on X.

Priced at $3,499 (£2,470), Apple's Vision Pro was released last week and blends three-dimensional digital content with a view of the outside world.

Apple has presented the new headset as a major new development in its platforms, arguing that it is not just an augmented reality device but the first look at a new paradigm called “spatial computing”.

The company at the time of its release said people should never use it while operating a “moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety”.

Mr Buttigieg has made similar comments previously about the use of Tesla Autopilot. Tesla says its advanced driver features are intended for use with a fully attentive driver "who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment".

The "dangerous" viral videos have alarmed road safety associations. "You can’t be doing that while you are driving,” said David Reich, spokesperson for the National Road Safety Foundation.

“The idea of anyone using them when not in a self-driving car would be disastrous," he was quoted by The Telegraph as saying. “You have to focus on driving; this is the task in hand. This seems to me like a major distraction,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tesla is recalling almost 2.2 million vehicles in the US due to an incorrect font size on its instrument panel for the brake, park and antilock brake system (ABS) warning lights.