Tesla FSD fails to stop car as driver sleeps at wheel on Canadian mountain pass

A Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode drove for miles with the driver slumped over and asleep at the wheel on a twisty mountain section of Trans-Canada Highway 1 between Golden and Revelstoke, British Columbia. Witness Carleigh King filmed the gray Tesla passing her on the side of the road, then caught up to record the driver wearing large sunglasses, completely unconscious behind the wheel. King reported the vehicle to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; authorities did not locate the Tesla and there are no reports of a crash.

The Revelstoke RCMP has the license plate and is following up with the owner. British Columbia law prohibits Level 3 and above automated driving systems on public roads; FSD is classified as Level 2, which is legal but mandates that drivers remain awake, alert, and in control with hands on the wheel and feet near or on the pedals at all times. Tesla’s FSD relies on a cabin camera mounted below the rearview mirror to monitor the driver’s face and eyes, ensuring they are looking forward.

In this incident, the large sunglasses blocked the camera’s view of the driver’s eyes, forcing the system to fall back on torque detection from hand pressure on the steering wheel. It is unclear from the video whether the sleeping driver had a hand on the wheel; a steering wheel cover is visible and may have interfered with torque sensing. As a result, FSD did not recognize the driver was asleep, did not deactivate, and continued driving down the curving mountain road.

The incident highlights a critical flaw: FSD failed to detect drowsiness or inattention when visual monitoring was obstructed, despite the legal requirement for drivers to remain engaged. While no crash occurred, the episode underscores the limitations of current driver-monitoring systems and raises questions about real-world safety when drivers bypass or obscure the vehicle’s sensors.