Overview
- A motorist recorded a grey Tesla apparently driving at highway speed with the driver slumped and hands off the wheel on the Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and Revelstoke, and the footage went viral.
- The witness told police she saw two children in the back seat but the Revelstoke RCMP have not publicly confirmed their presence as investigators trace the vehicle from its licence plate.
- Tesla’s cabin-facing camera is the primary attention monitor and the company’s manual notes it will not operate when eyes are obscured by sunglasses or poor lighting, which can let the system fail to detect drowsiness.
- When the camera cannot confirm attention the car falls back to steering-wheel torque checks that only detect applied force and can be satisfied by a resting arm or by aftermarket accessories that defeat the nag.
- B.C. law permits only Level 2 driver-assist systems and requires drivers to remain alert with a hand on the wheel, and officials say penalties for sleeping while driving range from fines to possible criminal negligence or dangerous-operation charges.