The First Ever Speeding Ticket to a Sleeping Driver Has Been Issued

Satire? Nope, Just 2020.

If we were to report just a couple of years ago that somebody got a speeding ticket while sleeping, most would probably be inclined to think that it was a satirical news outlet like The Onion making the headlines. However, it is 2020 and with the current state of technology, this is a real-life issue that we are looking at here.

In the province of Alberta, a driver was caught doing about 93 mph down the highway. This was pretty well in excess of the posted 110 kph (about 70 mph) speed limit. However, the slight plot twist was that the vehicle in question was a Tesla Model S and the man behind the wheel was sound asleep.

The driver was charged with speeding and dangerous driving and is expected to appear in court in December. He was also issued a 24-hour license suspension for driving while fatigued, says that Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They continue to issue a statement saying “The car appeared to be self-driving, traveling over 140km/h, with both front seats completely reclined and both occupants appearing to be asleep.”

As of today, self-driving technology and cars are pretty darn good. Don’t let the inflated headlines of incidents fool you. Experts argue that this sort of technology does way more good in preventing accidents than it does harm in the occasional lapse that ends up in injury or fatality. Because the system still isn’t perfect, though, the law prohibits people behind the wheel from not paying attention. Essentially, even though autonomous driving exists, it is in place more as an aid than a complete replacement for human input.

Meanwhile, following a fatality from a self-driving Uber, court cases are currently aiming to figure out who is responsible for such incidents. Long story short, while a lot of progress has been made in the autonomous car community, we still have a pretty good way to go.