Legal case 'Tesla electric car Autopilot-Fine'
Mr. Everts got two traffic fines (Netherlands) for driving while using his smartphone. Mr. Everts received these fines when he drove his sustainable Tesla electric car and using Tesla's autopilot self-steering function. So he himself was not the driver, but he only supervised. He drove completely safe according to the police and did not swing. It has taken almost a year, but he has a judge, a screen to present and a legal and social defense.
The defense
Mr Everts: I am going to demonstrate socially that driving with an Autopilot is 7 times safer than driving with your hands on the steering wheel (previously there was already 40% reduction of accidents by driving with Autopilot). It is also 140 times safer than a driver with a smartphone in hand (which is + -50% of the population regularly and is gigantic dangerous).
Legal defense
I also have a legal defense that I am responsible for the electric Tesla car, but that the car itself runs and I therefore only need to be treated as a driving instructor who supervises another driver (the student). The driving instructor may keep his smartphone in his hand.
Autopilot
The striking thing about this issue is that in both cases Mr. Everts drove in Tesla's on the Autopilot. In such a case, the car itself can steer and brake without intervention by a person is necessary. The pressing legal question is therefore: is there still a violation? After all, the software controls the car, not the person behind the wheel. (Tesla with Autopilot causes 7 times fewer accidents (per km) than the US average)
"Judge the issue of driving a Tesla on auto-pilot while using a smartphone"
If legislation does not go along with time, it is extra important to address that. It is interesting to see how a judge will judge this issue. Regardless of the outcome, we hope that by challenging these traffic fines, political urgency also arises to adapt the regulations to the current situation.