Viral footage of a woman appearing fast asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla as it cruised around 100 km/h on a major BC Interior highway has caught the attention of police.
The video, shared to Facebook by Carleigh King, was taken on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) between Revelstoke and Golden.
Not only was the woman asleep behind the wheel of the self-driving car, King claims that there were two children in the backseat as well.
“Shocking and horrible,” King wrote in the video caption. “What is this world coming to?”
King says she reported the incident to police and the Cpl. Brett Urano confirmed to NowMedia that the RCMP “is aware of the video and is actively investigating the incident.”
However, since the matter is part of an ongoing probe, Urano was unable to provide any further details.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available in Canada, but system-monitored driving (Level 3-5 automated vehicles) is prohibited in BC under the Motor Vehicle Act.
“Highly automated self-driving vehicles cannot yet be driven on public roads in BC, nor can highly automated self-driving features be used, unless enabled through a pilot project under the Motor Vehicle Act or by regulation in the future,” the Government of BC website explains.
Here's what BC Highway Patrol Cpl. Michael McLaughlin has to say about what is legal and illegal when it comes to self-driving cars in BC:
All drivers in BC must be alert, attentive, and focussed on their driving at all times, and full self-driving modes are illegal. Self Drive Level 2 is the highest level of driver assistance permitted in BC. That includes adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and some levels of braking and acceleration. But you still must be alert and in control at all times.
Confusingly, some manufacturers call their Level 2 assistance “Self-Drive,” but that does not change the obligation for all BC drivers to be alert and in control at all times. “Alert and in control” means you must be fully awake with at least one hand on the wheel and your eyes on the road. You must be sober, focussed, free of distractions.
