--- title: "Tesla’s Safety Camera Lets Woman Cruising at Highway Speed While Completely Passed Out" description: "The RCMP in British Columbia are investigating after a viral video shows a woman fast asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla on a highway." date: "2026-07-08" modified: "2026-07-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/tesla-safety-camera-woman-cruise-highway-passed-out" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Electric Vehicles" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" - "Tesla" --- # Tesla’s Safety Camera Lets Woman Cruising at Highway Speed While Completely Passed Out ![A screenshot of a mobile phone video showing a woman asleep behind the wheel of her Tesla as it drives down the highway.]() *Castanet News via YouTube* Police in British Columbia are investigating after a [viral video]() shows a woman fast asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla traveling at highway speeds. As the [*CBC* reports](), motorist Carleigh King spotted the woman with her head slumped to her side while wearing large, wraparound sunglasses. Her eyes are shut, indicating she's fast asleep. https://youtu.be/16kfQIL0i-4 While officials have yet to confirm whether the driver had turned on Tesla's controversial advanced driver assistance software, it certainly wouldn't be the first time. We've [consistently]() [come across reports]() of people asleep behind the wheel of the vehicles for years now. Worse yet, last year Tesla [started recommending]() drowsy motorists switch over to its erroneously-named Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature whenever it detects them falling asleep. According to [*Electrek* editor in chief Fred Lambert](), the driver's large sunglasses likely tricked the vehicle's driver-facing cabin camera — which monitors for alertness — into assuming she was attentive. "That’s the problem: with the eyes hidden, the camera can’t confirm attention, so the system falls back to the older steering-wheel 'nag' — periodic checks for torque on the wheel," Lambert explains. A whole cottage industry of Tesla accessories have since cropped up, allowing drivers to trick torque detection by [hanging a weight from the steering wheel](), for instance. It's unclear whether the driver in the viral video was using such a device. Driving with a Level 2 autonomy system, like Tesla's FSD, requires the driver to be able to take over control at any time. More sophisticated Level 3, 4, or 5 systems were officialy made illegal in Canada in April 2024. Chances are that the driver could face serious legal consequences, ranging from a simple ticket to criminal charges. And if she had children in the car — a person can be seen sleeping in the passenger seat — the situation could be even worse. "You must always be alert, sober, fully-focused on the road, at least one hand on the steering wheel," BC Highway Patrol media relations officer Michael McLaughlin told the *CDC*. "It is not legal to rely on full self-driving technologies in British Columbia." "You can't let the robot drive your car for you," he added. **More on FSD:** [*Tesla Slams Into Crowded Cafe, Killing One*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()