A new trend has emerged among Tesla drivers in China: using inexpensive plastic doll heads to fool the car’s cabin camera into thinking the driver is paying attention. These devices, available for as little as $20 (~AUD 28) to $50 (~AUD 71), are raising serious safety concerns as they undermine Tesla’s driver monitoring systems.
How Tesla’s Driver Monitoring Is Being Defeated
Chinese e-commerce platforms are now selling miniature celebrity figurine heads and other devices specifically designed to trick Tesla’s cabin-facing camera. By mounting these plastic heads near the rearview mirror, drivers can bypass the system that tracks head position and eye movement, allowing them to divert their attention from the road.
One Tesla Model 3 owner in China reportedly used a fake head resembling Dwayne Johnson and drove for 30 minutes without receiving a single safety alert. Sellers offer a range of products, from celebrity figurines to screens displaying blinking eyes, with some custom solutions attaching directly to seat headrests or dashboards.
The Ongoing Arms Race in Driver Monitoring
Attempts to defeat Tesla’s safety systems are not new. Earlier, drivers used steering wheel weights to trick the torque sensor into believing someone was holding the wheel. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) intervened, shutting down products like the ‘Autopilot Buddy’ with cease and desist orders.
In response, Tesla expanded its driver monitoring to include a cabin camera, aiming for a smarter solution. However, the current system can still be fooled by a static plastic object costing as little as $30 (~AUD 43).
Real-World Risks and Regulatory Scrutiny
Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD (Supervised) systems are not fully autonomous and require constant human supervision. There have been documented incidents where lack of driver attention led to crashes, including cases where Teslas ran red lights or crossed into wrong lanes.
The NHTSA has identified 80 FSD traffic violations and has upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis covering 3.2 million vehicles, the final step before a potential recall. Tesla is also facing a fraud lawsuit from 10 Chinese owners over ‘Full Self-Driving’ promises, and recently cracked down on over 100,000 vehicles using unauthorized FSD enabler devices.
Competitor Comparison
Tesla is not alone in the race to develop advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). XPeng, a Chinese EV brand, offers sophisticated ADAS technology at competitive prices, while Huawei equips some of its vehicles with self-developed smart driving features as standard. BYD, another major Chinese automaker, uses lidar-equipped suites for enhanced driver assistance.
These competitors are investing heavily in robust monitoring and sensor technologies, aiming to address the very weaknesses that have allowed Tesla’s system to be bypassed by simple tricks.
Historical Context
Tesla’s popularity in China remains strong, with 657,102 vehicles sold in 2024, marking an 8.8% year-over-year increase. This growth comes despite a global slowdown in EV deliveries, highlighting the importance of the Chinese market for Tesla.
However, the emergence of defeat devices and ongoing regulatory scrutiny could impact Tesla’s reputation and future sales in the region.
Why this matters
The ability to bypass Tesla’s driver monitoring system with a low-cost plastic toy exposes a critical vulnerability in the company’s safety approach. As Level 2 automation systems like Autopilot and FSD (Supervised) require active human supervision, any workaround that allows drivers to disengage from this responsibility increases the risk of accidents.
With regulatory bodies like the NHTSA intensifying their investigations and competitors offering more robust solutions, Tesla faces mounting pressure to improve its safeguards and restore confidence in its technology.
What this means for buyers
Tesla owners and prospective buyers in China and elsewhere should be aware that current driver monitoring systems can be easily bypassed, potentially compromising safety. Until Tesla implements more advanced anti-spoofing measures, drivers must remain vigilant and avoid relying on defeat devices.
Buyers comparing Tesla with brands like XPeng, Huawei, and BYD should consider not only features and pricing but also the effectiveness of each brand’s safety systems, especially as regulatory scrutiny increases.
Related coverage from The Electric Viking
For more on Tesla’s safety challenges and the evolution of driver-assistance technology, see BYD crushes blogger in Court: second-instance ruling forces apology after 293,000 USD verdict and MG5 catches fire in China while parked, sparking safety concerns after zero-star ANCAP crash test.
Key Specs
- Defeat device price: $20 (~AUD 28) to $50 (~AUD 71)
- Tesla China sales (2024): 657,102 vehicles (+8.8% YoY)
- NHTSA FSD investigation coverage: 3.2 million vehicles
- FSD traffic violations identified by NHTSA: 80 incidents
Source
Images sourced from: autoevolution.com, cnn.com, notateslaapp.com
