When your car's on autopilot, will you be alert when needed?

When Tesla Motors enabled the “autopilot” feature on its cars in October, it didn’t take long for video to appear of drivers trying crazy things — none more so than jumping into the passenger seat to leave the car totally in control.

The stunts are stupid but they highlight a concern that some already have with the growing use of autonomous technologies in cars: If a vehicle is driving itself, will the driver still pay attention to the road?

The advice from Tesla is clear: “Remain engaged and aware when autosteer is enabled,” and “Keep your hands on the wheel.”

But that’s easier said than done.

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