Finnish court convicts drunk driver who fell asleep while using Tesla’s autopilot

A Finnish district court has sentenced a man to a suspended prison term after he fell asleep at the wheel of a Tesla on autopilot while heavily intoxicated, reports public broadcaster Yle.

The South Karelia District Court ruled that the 44-year-old driver had endangered traffic safety and committed aggravated drunk driving. He received a four-month suspended sentence, to be served as 120 hours of community service.

According to the court, the man activated the Tesla’s autopilot system—including lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control—before losing consciousness on the Kuutostie highway in Lappeenranta in 2025. The vehicle continued driving at approximately 115 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, overtaking other cars while remaining in the left lane for several kilometres. Police eventually stopped the car.

A blood alcohol test after the incident recorded a level of 2.72 permille—well above Finland’s legal limit of 0.5. The driver admitted full responsibility in court.

Experts previously described the case as highly unusual. Finnish law requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel even when using advanced driver-assistance systems. The ruling can be appealed.