Tesla drivers can’t get away with autopilot in the Okanagan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
West Kelowna RCMP caught a driver who tried to do just that along Highway 97 this week, using their onboard technology to drive while reading in traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An officer pulled over the Tesla SUV on Wednesday, July 15, and handed them tickets for driving without due care and attention and for driving with controls obstructed, according to a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Regardless of the technology available in a vehicle, drivers are responsible for maintaining control and remaining attentive at all times,” Const. Ash Puri of West Kelowna RCMP said in the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As technology advances, manufacturers like Tesla have been rolling out more advanced features that near self-driving capabilities. Despite those advances, it’s not legal in BC to rely on those systems without holding the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Driver-assistance features are designed to assist drivers, not replace them. Taking your attention away from the road while a vehicle is in motion places everyone at risk and can have serious consequences,” Puri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drivers must be prepared to take control of the vehicle immediately, rather than allowing the car to take full control of the drive, according to West Kelowna RCMP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“Regardless of the technology available in a vehicle, drivers are responsible for maintaining control and remaining attentive at all times.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":426,"featured_media":6546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"guid":"","source":"","byline":"","published":"","updated":"","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1285,492,493],"tags":[],"region":[206,207,208,209],"class_list":["post-6545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-local","category-topnews","region-kamloops","region-kelowna","region-penticton","region-vernon"],"blocksy_meta":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6545\/tesla-driver-caught-reading-in-traffic-ticketed-in-west-kelowna\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Tesla driver caught reading in traffic ticketed in West Kelowna","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6545\/tesla-driver-caught-reading-in-traffic-ticketed-in-west-kelowna\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6545\/tesla-driver-caught-reading-in-traffic-ticketed-in-west-kelowna\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/inwheels-20260715_121005_1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/inwheels-20260715_121005_1.jpg"},"articleSection":"Featured","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Levi Landry"}],"creator":["Levi Landry"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iNwheels","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-07-16T17:17:00Z","datePublished":"2026-07-16T17:17:00Z","dateModified":"2026-07-16T17:17:03Z"},"rendered":"