KARACHI(National Times)- A video clip went viral on social media after a remote-controlled car crashed into a police van in Islamabad, reportedly due to a \u201ctechnical fault\u201d caused by an internet disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, journalist Muhammad Aalijah uploaded a video on his official social media account showing him seated in the front passenger seat of a car at Islamabad\u2019s D-Chowk, which appeared to be operated using a remote-control device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Aalijah explains the car\u2019s features and it moves forward, the steering wheel, controlled remotely by an operator, suddenly goes out of control. The car consequently bumps into a police van parked along the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The video also shows Aalijah pulling the handbrake in an attempt to prevent the car from hitting the police van, but his efforts prove futile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since being uploaded, the video has been widely circulated on social media, with users adding witty captions to the footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When contacted, Aalijah told Dawn that he had been asked by technology enthusiast Ehsan Zafar of Abbottabad to report on his tech-based automated-driving innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverything was fine until a technical fault occurred due to an internet disruption, causing the car to go out of control and crash into a police vehicle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aalijah explained that the car was controlled remotely over the internet and that a sudden loss of connection caused it to go out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a social media post on Monday, Aalijah said his intention in making the video was \u201cnever to defame or target this young man\u201d, who owned and operated the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe sole purpose was to raise awareness and urge people to remain cautious until any new experiment or technology has been thoroughly tested, proven safe and established as a complete success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was a message of caution, not an attempt to discredit anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sharing the video online, Aalijah said the car\u2019s system was not yet \u201ccompletely safe and reliable\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe vehicle was being operated through satellite and internet connections, but during external control, it went out of control as soon as the internet connection was disconnected and collided with a police vehicle,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident occurred in a high-security area with very little traffic. \u201cIf the same situation had occurred on a busy road, the consequences could have been extremely dangerous, even fatal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis video is not criticism; it is a responsible effort to raise awareness and issue a warning \u2014 by all means, experiment, but ensure safety first,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self-driving memes take on a life of their own
Meanwhile, the video has been widely shared on social media, with some users appreciating the journalist\u2019s efforts to promote local talent, while others have responded with amusing remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCertainly, there is no shortage of talent in Pakistan,\u201d a user wrote, quoting Aalijah in a jibe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An internet user added that even AI panics in Pakistan when it sees the cops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another user advised the car\u2019s owner and tech innovator not to give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFunny for some, maybe, but I see a great effort. It failed today; yes, hiccups happen, but I know this young Pakistani will one day have a perfect solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noting the huge public attention, a user said the video clip had the potential to become the next \u201cinternational meme\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI(National Times)- A video clip went viral on social media after a remote-controlled car crashed into a police van in Islamabad, reportedly due to a \u201ctechnical fault\u201d caused by an internet disruption. On Sunday, journalist Muhammad Aalijah uploaded a video on his official social media account showing him seated in the front passenger seat of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n