News release

Don’t sleep and drive: BC Highway Patrol stops a driver who was just ‘zoned out’

March 23, 2026 - Coquitlam, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

Content

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

On March 17, 2026, during the rush hour commute at about 8:30 a.m., a police officer pulled up beside an electric car and observed the driver with her eyes closed and arms crossed on eastbound Highway #1 in Coquitlam in slippery, rainy conditions.

“The driver appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel,” says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “The driver said that she had ‘zoned out’ but was fully alert with her hands on the steering wheel. In-car police video did not support the driver’s claim.”

The driver, a 37-year-old Metro Vancouver woman, was issued a ticket for:

• Driving without due care and attention, section 144(1)(a) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), with a fine of $368;
• Speeding against a highway sign, section 146(3) of the BC MVA, with a fine of $138.

“It’s true that some electric vehicles have self-driving mode, but those systems are not legal to use in BC,” says Corporal McLaughlin. “You need to be fully awake, alert, focused, and in control of your vehicle at all times.”

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