A Tesla driver has been arrested for sitting in his car's back seat while it was on autopilot.

Param Sharma, 25, was arrested for reckless driving on Monday, May 10, and held overnight at the Santa Rita jail after he was seen riding in the backseat of his Tesla with the car on autopilot, Daily Mail reports.

He was seen entering the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza in Oakland, California, on Monday by an officer.

However, he had previously been reported to California Highway Patrol earlier this month after a video of the stunt was posted to YouTube.

California Highway Patrol said that they had received countless calls about him on Monday too.

Watch footage of Sharma in the backseat of the Tesla below:

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgDVdwxBgwY]]

When he was stopped by the officer, the 25-year-old allegedly jumped into the front seat of his car as the officer came to the window.

He was later charged with disobeying a police officer and with two counts of reckless driving.

"It's not something we see often, and we're hoping this doesn't become a trend," the California Highway Patrol told the Daily Mail.

It is illegal in California for vehicles to operate without people behind the wheel, even if they are autonomous.

The Tesla Autopilot was created to assist drivers, but it was not made with the intent of enabling a "self-driving" car.

Drivers of the vehicles must agree to "keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times" and to always "maintain control and responsibility for your car" before the function is enabled.

In another video, taken by a different driver, Sharma grins as he is overtaken while sitting in the backseat of his car.

Watch the video below:

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgDVdwxBgwY&t=1s]]

Sharma bragged that on Monday that despite his arrest, he'd be returning home in the same way he arrived - in the back of a Tesla while using autopilot.

However, he did so with a friend in his car, with the two sitting in the backseat.

"I'm gonna go in the back seat right now. You feel me? I'm waiting for my car to charge," Sharma told KTVU.

He explained that the footage wasn't a social media stunt, but to prove that self-driving cars were no longer the stuff of science fiction.

Sharma believes that his actions aren't dangerous.

"I've been brake-checked before really hard, and the car stopped," Sharma told KTVU. "The car came to a complete stop. Elon Musk really knows what he's doing and I think people are tripping and they're scared."

Featured image credit: Alamy / ZarkePix

Tesla driver arrested after repeatedly riding in the back seat while car was on autopilot