Two witnesses who provided video, and are willing to testify in court, have helped BC Highway Patrol ticket a driver for allegedly sleeping while driving her Tesla.

On August 11,  just before 3:30 p.m., on Highway #1 near Mountain Highway in North Vancouver, two witnesses called police about a driver who appeared to be asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla. 

Both witnesses were in the same vehicle, and the passenger recorded video from the passenger seat. Based on the description provided by the witnesses, and the video evidence, BC Highway Patrol tracked down the Registered Owner of the Tesla at her home in Maple Ridge.

The 45-year-old owner of the Tesla matched the description of the suspected sleeper, so she was issued a ticket for driving without due care and attention, section 144(1)(a) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act ($368).

“Police will not debate the merits of self-driving technology with sleeping drivers. It’s illegal in BC, and we’re here to enforce the law and keep roads safe,” says Sergeant Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “Driver inattention is a major factor in serious and deadly collisions. You must be completely focussed and alert when you’re behind the wheel of any motor vehicle in BC.”