People Wearing Apple Vision Pro While Driving Sparks NHTSA Warning

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has warned drivers against wearing virtual reality headsets while using their car, after videos of motorists driving while wearing Apple's new Vision Pro headsets emerged.

An NHTSA spokesperson told Newsweek that driving while wearing a VR headset was "reckless and disregards the safety of everyone on the road," with distracted drivers involved in hundreds of thousands of crashes on American roads.

"More than 3,500 people were killed and more than 360,000 people were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2021," they said, citing a May report. It noted that five percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes that year were distracted at the wheel—with the highest proportion among 15- to 20-year-olds.

"There are no fully autonomous vehicles available for sale today," the spokesperson said. "As NHTSA has stated consistently, all vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems require a fully attentive human driver performing the driving task and monitoring the surrounding environment at all times. Every state in the nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle."

The warning comes after one X, formerly Twitter, user uploaded footage of them in their Tesla while wearing the new Apple headset the day it was released. For a portion of the video, the motorist is seen interacting with what he can see through the goggles instead of having his hands on the wheel while driving down a motorway.

The video later shows the driver—who says he lives in Palo Alto, California—being pulled over by the police. The following day, they published another clip of them getting into their car and driving off.

Other users have uploaded footage of pedestrians walking in the road while wearing the goggles, and motorists driving a Tesla Cybertruck while using the headsets.

The latter prompted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to state on Monday that "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." While Tesla vehicles have autopilot features, motorists are required to be alert so they can assume complete control of the vehicle if needed.

In its Vision Pro user guide, Apple stressed that it is "important to use the device in a safe manner," and that users should "never use the device while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety."

"Always remain aware of your surroundings and body posture during use," the company also said. "Apple Vision Pro should never be used on or near roads, streets, or any other area where moving objects present a collision risk."

The social media videos have prompted fresh concern about the use of VR headsets from road safety advocates.

Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, told the Telegraph newspaper on Sunday: "While new technologies like virtual reality offer an exciting way to experience the world around us, they have no place behind the wheel of a car.

"Any behavior that takes a driver's focus off the task of driving is dangerous and irresponsible and puts all of us at serious risk of death or injury, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians."