A Driver In Alberta Was Charged For Speeding While Sleeping

Canadians generally know all the things they're not supposed to do while driving: texting, drinking, even eating. However, most people wouldn't think that sleeping could even be on the list. Still, members of the Alberta RCMP managed to catch someone catching some shut-eye behind the wheel of a moving car.

It was reported in a September 17 news release that authorities had received complaints of a speeding vehicle heading south on Highway 2 near Ponoka on July 9.

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The car, which was later identified by officers as a 2019 Tesla Model S, appeared to be self-driving and reaching speeds of 140 km/h.

On top of that, both the driver and passenger seats were fully reclined, and the occupants appeared to be sleeping.

A member of Alberta RCMP Traffic Services was able to locate the vehicle. When they put their emergency lights on, the Tesla automatically began to accelerate.

The officer was able to get a radar reading on the car and clocked it doing 150 km/h.

Eventually, they were able to pull the car over. The driver, a 20-year-old man from British Columbia, was charged with speeding and received a 24-hour license suspension for fatigue.

After further investigation, as well as consulting with Crown Counsel, the driver was also charged with dangerous driving under the criminal code.

He is expected to appear in court in December.

"Although manufacturers of new vehicles have built-in safeguards to prevent drivers from taking advantage of the new safety systems in vehicles, those systems are just that — supplemental safety systems," Alberta RCMP Traffic Services Superintendent Gary Graham said in a statement.

"They are not self-driving systems, they still come with the responsibility of driving."

Even in 2020, a self-driving car can still be a jarring sight, and this isn't even the first time someone was charged because they were using the feature.

An Ontario driver was pulled over earlier this year when they were spotted flossing behind the wheel while their Tesla sped down the highway.