People are now testing Tesla’s ‘full self-driving’ on real kids

The North Carolina resident set out to refute a widely circulated video of a Tesla with the company’s « full self-driving » beta software — which allows the car to steer, brake and accelerate, but requires an attentive human driver ready to take the wheel — plowing into child-size mannequins.

Dan O’Dowd, a software company CEO who published the video earlier this month, thinks the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should ban « full self-driving » until Tesla CEO Elon Musk « proves it won’t mow down children. »

That’s when Cupani, who runs an auto shop focused on imports and Teslas, got involved and recruited his son. While he’s a self-described « BMW guy, » Cupani says the software can’t compare to what Tesla offers. It also wasn’t the first time he’d enlisted his son, who Cupani said is 11 years old, in a potentially viral car endeavor: Earlier this year he posted a video of his son driving his Model S Plaid — which can reach 0-60 in 1.99 seconds — in a private parking lot. It’s been viewed more than 250,000 times.

« Some people look at it and say, ‘Oh this crazy dad, what is he doing?' » Cupani told CNN Business. « Well, I do a lot of stuff like that, but I’m going to make sure my kid doesn’t get hit. »