In most of the United States, it’s illegal to wear a headset like Apple Vision Pro while driving, but a Tesla owner decided to do it anyway with predictable results.
Laws around the world concerning driving include requirements for the driver to avoid being distracted while in control of the vehicle, with rules typically intended to prevent people from texting while driving. In one driver’s case, they discovered the laws also apply to the Apple Vision Pro.
In a brief video published to X on Friday, Dante Lentini was shown at the wheel of a Tesla, while also wearing the Apple Vision Pro. The clip has the 21-year-old tapping and gesturing away with the Apple Vision Pro.
However, later in the video, he is shown in the car while it is stopped, with a police car nearby. While the video doesn’t show an actual interaction with a member of law enforcement, Gizmodo reports Lentini confirmed he was arrested for using the headset in a tweet.
As yet, there is no other public confirmation of there being an arrest.
At some points, he is shown with both hands off the steering wheel, seemingly relying on Tesla’s assisted driving features, including Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
However, even Tesla says the features “do not make the vehicle autonomous,” that drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel “at all times,” and to always “maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle.”
It is unclear if Lentini was using a pass-through view to continue to see the road for safety reasons, but it’s highly probable. There’s also no way to determine if his gestures were really interacting with apps or were for show, making it unclear whether he was distracted from driving beyond wearing a headset.
Despite the arrest claim, he did also post a later video where he departed a toilet and returned to the Tesla to continue driving, all while wearing the Apple Vision Pro. The nature of the videos may also be in response to other Apple Vision Pro users who dare to use the headset in public, to join in with the social media trend.
Apple’s Safety Information page for the Apple Vision Pro advises for users to “Always remain aware of your environment” during use, and that it’s designed for use in “controlled areas that are safe.” Apple also explicitly states “Never use Apple Vision Pro while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.”
The Apple Vision Pro does have a mode that lets travelers use the Apple Vision Pro while on the move, but it is intended for use by passengers, not people in control of a vehicle.
