Why a Tesla Model Y led to a teen’s failed driving exam in Ontario

A North Bay, Ontario man has raised concerns after his teenage daughter failed her G driver’s license road test while driving his Tesla Model Y. The issue, the Tesla owner noted, was due to his daughter using the Model Y’s regenerative braking system to bring the car to a stop.

Regenerative braking bias

Eric Simard, the Tesla owner, told CBC News that his daughter borrowed his car for her driving test. Because of this, she was not fully familiar with how to disable the Model Y’s regenerative braking system. Unfortunately, the examiner did not allow his daughter to call him for help in turning off the feature.

Simard noted that his daughter ultimately failed her driving test because she never used the car’s physical brake pedal. In his daughter’s road test results from Drive Test Ontario, the examiner marked a box stating that the Model Y was “out of order. 

“I find it pretty frustrating because even though it’s regenerative braking and you’re not using the brake pedal, you’re clearly the one that is in full control of making the vehicle come to a stop or to slow down,” Simard stated, adding that his daughter was also penalized for the Model Y’s feature that alerts drivers when a traffic light turns green. 

Discussions on driver-assist technologies

In a comment, Julia Caslin, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, stated that the province’s graduated licensing system “requires drivers to always demonstrate safe vehicle operation and full control, regardless of the vehicle’s features.” 

“Applicants are expected to understand how their vehicle’s system — including lane centring, regenerative braking, adaptive cruise control and automated parking — may affect handling and performance during a road test,” Caslin stated. 

Driving instructors also expressed differing views about Simard’s experience. Saad Tariq of Greater Sudbury Driving School said he advises students against relying on driver-assist features because sensors can fail.

Meanwhile, Amanda Lacroix of Northern Lights Driving School suggested road tests should adapt to the technologies drivers use daily, while still requiring mastery of basic skills like mirror checks and manual braking.

“If the world’s going to change and we’re all going to have assisted driving, then we should be learning how to do it properly,” Lacroix said.

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