Unsold 2026 Tesla Model Y utility vehicles sit in a holding lot Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in northeast Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By The Canadian Press

B.C. driver asleep at wheel of Tesla, speeding down Highway 1 in rainy rush hour

Mar 23, 2026 | 11:52 AM

COQUITLAM — Police in Metro Vancouver are warning drivers to remain attentive, even in a self-driving vehicle, after ticketing a woman who “appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel” on Highway 1.

The BC Highway Patrol says the motorist was caught last Tuesday during the morning rush hour in Coquitlam.

Police say an officer pulled up next to the Tesla and noticed the driver “with her eyes closed and arms crossed” while the vehicle was travelling on the road in rainy and slippery conditions.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin says the motorist told police she had “zoned out” but remained alert with her hands on the steering wheel.

However, McLaughlin says video captured by the officer’s in-car camera “did not support the driver’s claim.”

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The driver was ticketed for speeding and driving without care, and police are reminding that drivers must be “fully awake, alert, focused, and in control” of their vehicle at all times on the road.

“It’s true that some electric vehicles have self-driving mode, but those systems are not legal to use in B.C.,” McLaughlin says in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press