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Amazon Pulls Devices That Tesla Drivers Use to Trick Their Vehicles

So-called “wheel weights” make the vehicles think a driver is gripping a steering wheel when they’re not.

Amazon has removed listings for devices that allow Tesla drivers to use their cars’ driver-assistance features without the vehicles reminding them to keep their hands on the wheel. Tesla tells drivers to always keep their hands on the wheel when using both Autopilot and Full-Self Driving modes, and their cars issue reminders to drivers to do so. But contraptions sold as “wheel weights” or “wheel knobs” simulate the pressure of a driver’s hands on the wheel, silencing the notifications. The devices have been linked to at least two recent traffic incidents, including one in North Carolina in which a Tesla didn’t slow down and drove into a teenager getting off a school bus. After being flagged by The Washington Post, both Amazon and Alibaba said they had removed listings for the devices from their marketplaces out of safety concerns and policy violations.