‘N’ driver caught snoozing as car travels through Port Coquitlam

A novice driver apparently took “autopilot” a little too literally after police say they were found sound asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle travelling through Port Coquitlam.

Coquitlam RCMP said officers received a report last week of a driver sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle, and members of the Integrated Road Safety Unit eventually located the vehicle, according to a Sept. 16 social media post.

Police said the driver was “sound asleep” behind the wheel. After a traffic stop was made, it was discovered the driver was also a novice, or “N,” driver.

The driver was issued violation tickets for driving without due care and attention and failing to display an “N” sign.

“Drivers of all vehicles must be in control at all times when automated features are engaged while operating a motor vehicle in British Columbia,” police said.

The incident comes as B.C. restricts the use of more advanced self-driving technology on public roads.

The province distinguishes between driver-assistance technology, classified as Levels 1 and 2 automation, and Levels 3 through 5, in which increasingly greater portions of the driving task can be performed without a person actively driving.

Level 1 and 2 features can include technology such as lane-change assistance and automatic braking, but the person behind the wheel remains responsible for driving.

Since April 2024, B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act has prohibited people from driving Level 3, 4 or 5 automated vehicles on public roads, or using those levels of automated driving technology, unless specifically permitted through a provincial regulation or pilot project.

The province says violations of those rules can carry penalties ranging from a $368 fine and three driver penalty points to as much as $2,000 and six months in jail.

The restrictions do not prohibit lower-level driver-assistance systems, but those systems still require a driver to remain engaged and in control of the vehicle.

Police did not identify the driver or say where in Port Coquitlam the vehicle was located.