OPP Charges Two Tesla Drivers on Highway 417 for Sleeping and Watching Videos While Using FSD

The Ontario Provincial Police have charged two Tesla drivers on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area for inattention while using Full Self-Driving (FSD), the latest in a growing number of enforcement actions across Canada targeting drivers who delegate too much to driver-assistance systems.

What happened

The OPP said an officer spotted a Tesla Model Y travelling on Highway 417 during rush hour traffic on Tuesday with the driver's eyes closed and hands off the steering wheel. FSD was active in the vehicle. Rather than activating sirens, the officer pulled close enough to capture body-camera footage, which may have triggered an alert inside the Tesla. Constable Michael Fathi confirmed the driver's eyes were closed and her hands were off the wheel.

The driver now faces a careless driving charge carrying a $490 fine and six demerit points upon conviction, according to the OPP.

In a separate incident shortly before 4 p.m. the same day, another driver was stopped on Highway 417 near Parkdale Avenue after an officer spotted him watching videos on his phone. The OPP said FSD was also active in that vehicle, and an accompanying police photo showed it was a Tesla. That driver faces both distracted driving and careless driving charges — the distracted driving offence carries a $615 fine, three demerit points, and a three-day licence suspension, while the careless driving charge adds a $490 fine and six demerit points.

A pattern, not an isolated incident

The Ottawa charges follow a string of similar cases in British Columbia this year:

• March 2026: A Tesla driver was ticketed after allegedly sleeping behind the wheel on Highway 1 in North Vancouver.
• Summer 2026: A driver in Langley was stopped with both hands off the wheel; the officer had to abandon a priority call to make the stop.
• Recent: A driver in Port Coquitlam was described by police as "sound asleep" behind the wheel of a Model Y and turned out to hold a novice driver's licence.

The B.C. cases resulted in fines of $368 under the province's driver-inattention provisions. The Ontario charges carry heavier penalties, particularly the licence suspension attached to the distracted-driving component.

What the law actually says

Tesla's FSD is sold as a level-2 driver-assistance system, not a self-driving system. The driver is legally responsible for vehicle control at all times. Under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, operating a vehicle without due care and attention is an offence regardless of whether an assist system is engaged. The OPP has made clear in its public statement that the presence of FSD does not change the legal standard: the driver must remain at the wheel, attentive, and ready to take over.

What this means for Canadian Tesla owners

The enforcement signal is unambiguous. Police in both B.C. and Ontario are actively ticketing drivers who use FSD while inattentive, and the penalties are escalating. For Canadian Tesla owners, the practical takeaway is straightforward: FSD is a tool that reduces fatigue on long highway stretches, but it does not absolve the driver of legal responsibility. Sleeping or watching videos while FSD is active is not a grey area — it is a chargeable offence in Ontario and British Columbia.

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