China driver on autopilot at 130km/h filmed, passenger gets 70 US cent coupon compensation
Sleepy ride-hailing driver plays with phone at high speeds while using drive-assistance technology as terrified passenger looks out for danger
A Chinese ride-hailing passenger whose driver drove at breakneck speeds while on autopilot mode on an expressway at night complained to the platform and only received a 5-yuan (70 US cents) coupon as compensation.
The passenger, surnamed Li, booked a ride on the app HelloRide, which belongs to Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, on the evening of April 5 from Foshan to Luoding in southern China’s Guangdong province.
The journey was 180km long and usually takes two hours.
Li said it was a scary trip because the driver was looking at his phone with his hands off the steering wheel the entire way.
The vehicle was in autopilot mode, even on the highway where speeds reached between 120km and 130km per hour.
Li said the driver was in the fast lane the whole time, and even showed signs of sleepiness.