B.C. Highway Patrol is warning drivers not do things simply because they can after stopping a driver who was apparently dozing in their car.

On March 17, a police officer pulled up beside an electric car during the morning rush-hour commute along Highway 1 in Coquitlam and noted that the driver did not appear to be touching the steering wheel, according to Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol.

Highway Patrol said it was raining at the time and the highway conditions were slippery.

The officer looked over at the car beside him and saw the driver of the electric car with her eyes closed and arms crossed.

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“The driver appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel,” McLaughlin said.

“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 woman from Metro Vancouver, was fined $368 for driving without due care and attention. She also received a $138 fine for speeding.

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

McLaughlin said this also comes with six penalty points on the person’s licence.

“If you are not completely in control of your vehicle, awake, alert, with your hands on your steering wheel, you are violating the law and expect to receive a ticket from Highway Patrol,”  he said.

“In British Columbia, self-driving is not legal on our roads.”

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