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"Autopilot" should not be conflated to "self-driving," as one allegedly inebriated Tesla driver found out after failing to cross the Bay Bridge last Saturday evening.

The man had apparently passed out in the stopped car while stuck in the flow of busy bridge traffic at 5:30 p.m. that day, according to the California Highway Patrol. When he was awoken, he ostensibly attempted to reassure arresting CHP officers onsite that the car was "on autopilot."

Luckily, CHP was onsite immediately. "It's pretty quick that we get those calls," Officer Vu Williams of the San Francisco CHP tells SFGATE. "We always have units patrolling the bridge."

According to the CHP, the man had a blood alcohol level of "at least twice" the legal limit. He was arrested and charged with suspicion of a DUI after being reported by drivers who saw him stopped in traffic.

RELATED: Suspected Tesla worker crashes Model 3, arrested for DUI

Tesla has long advised autopilot drivers to maintain consciousness while driving and to keep their hands on the steering wheel should anything go wrong.

In response to this instance, a spokesperson for the company tells SFGATE that "autopilot is intended for use only with a fully attentive driver."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

