Ontario Provincial Police charged a Tesla driver for careless driving after finding them asleep behind the wheel on Highway 417 during rush hour. Officers observed the driver with closed eyes and hands off the steering wheel while the vehicle was in motion.
The conviction carries a fine of CAD 490 and six demerit points. Under the Highway Traffic Act, court proceedings could result in fines up to CAD 2,000, a six-month jail term, and a two-year license suspension.
This incident marks at least the fifth public report of a sleeping Tesla driver in Canada this year. Similar cases have been documented in the U.S., including a collision in California where a driver asleep on FSD struck a patrol car.
Tesla's monitoring system relies on a cabin camera that tracks head position rather than eye movement. The company's current software, including versions 14.2.1 and 14.3.3, has reduced driver alerts and allows for texting in certain traffic contexts.
In December 2023, the NHTSA issued a recall for over 2 million Tesla vehicles due to inadequate Autopilot monitoring. Despite these measures, instances of drivers relying on automated systems while sleeping continue to occur.
