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What is a Tesla steering wheel weight?
I drive a Tesla and love to use Tesla Autopilot, but my friend keeps suggesting using a steering wheel weight. What is a Tesla steering wheel weight, and what does it do?
Mary Alice Morris · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Let’s start by being perfectly clear—using a steering wheel weight for your Tesla is a really bad idea. It’s unsafe, it tampers with the car’s autopilot functions, and some manufacturers selling the weights have already been banned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Now, to answer your question in more detail: A Tesla steering wheel weight is an aftermarket device sold by third-party retailers. It’s used to trick the Tesla steering wheel into functioning as though the driver’s hands were on it since the Tesla Autopilot only functions when the driver’s hands are on the wheel. This safety feature ensures the driver is ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.
But some have found a way around this safety feature. By attaching a weight to the steering wheel that mimics the presence of hands, some Tesla drivers have managed to operate the car on autopilot without any interaction with the steering wheel.
It’s unsafe because Tesla’s self-driving technology is not entirely, fully self-driving. In all production models, these cars rely on the intervention of a human being in some circumstances because they are unable to perfectly navigate in a fully autonomous mode.
It’s good that you asked about the steering wheel weights before jumping in on the dangerous fad. Another great way to ensure your safety is by getting the right car insurance coverage. And you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg doing it!
Just download the
Jerry
app to get started—it only takes about 45 seconds. The average Jerry user saves more than $800 a month on car insurance!View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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