Video of Tesla Driver Wearing Vision Pro Sparks Government Warning

Apple Vision Pro owners have been warned by the U.S. Department of Transportation not to use the headset when at the wheel of a car, even if their vehicle has a semi-autonomous driving mode, because of the obvious danger it poses to themselves and others.

Apple Vision Pro at Steve Jobs Theater
U.S. Secretary for Transport Pete Buttigieg took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn drivers that all current vehicles require the driver to be engaged "at all times."

The warning came after videos of drivers wearing Apple's newly launched spatial computing headset went viral on social media, one of which Buttigieg reposted.

Another video showed a man appearing to get pulled over by the police while wearing the headset in a Tesla. The driver later admitted to Gizmodo that it was a "skit" made with the help of friends, and yet incredibly he reportedly "drove with the headset for 30-40 seconds." Vision Pro has passthrough video, but overlays interactive virtual content onto physical space, which is clearly going to be distracting for a driver.


Apple in its Vision Pro support documentation cautions users to "never use the device while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety." Apple says to use Vision Pro outside "only in controlled environments."

Avoid situations that could cause you to trip and fall, like uneven terrain, or obstacles that you could collide with. If you are outside, avoid extreme temperatures, rain, fog, or moisture of any kind. Apple Vision Pro shouldn’t be used near roadways or areas where moving objects present a collision risk.

Apple Vision Pro launched in the U.S. on Friday, and there are already several YouTube videos of people wearing the headset while skateboarding along busy streets, walking around airport terminals, using the subway, and navigating other public places.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

Motawa Avatar
25 months ago
god I hate humans
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ifxf Avatar
25 months ago
It’s a Tesla driver, why is anyone surprised.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
25 months ago

It’s a Tesla driver, why is anyone surprised.
Cybertruck buyers already have impaired judgement.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TIMO_737 Avatar
25 months ago
New kind of stupid is born. I'll buy the vision pro when it's available in Europe, but it'll stay at home...
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
25 months ago
Unless it's on a closed track/road, this should be a reckless driving charge, at minimum. Class c misdemeanor with 60 days in jail. Do a license suspension as well.

I don't care if it's staged or not.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The-Real-Deal82 Avatar
25 months ago
I would never wish for somebody to die in a fiery wreck, but some people are born to be closer to that reality than others through stupidity it would seem.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)