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A Tesla driver was fined in Norway and had his driving licence suspended because he relied on the Autopilot feature of the car. He claimed that it failed to detect an unexpected change in speed limits.
The incident occurred in March in the Nøstved Tunnel, where the driver was caught travelling at 90 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, exceeding the limit by 40 km/h.
The driver, indignant over the fine, contested the fine at court, arguing that Tesla Autopilot was not set to adjust for the temporary decrease from the usual speed of 90 km/h to 60 km/h then 50 km/h because of a lane closing. He claimed there were no signs indicating the change. The court, however, rejected his argument, saying that the signage was clearly visible, as confirmed both by the toll control center, police and other road users.
The court was not convinced by the man’s argument, and ruled that Autopilot alone is negligent. The court ruled that the defendant was responsible for being aware of speed limits and that it would be negligent to blindly rely on the technical systems in the car. The court found that the driver was guilty of gross negligence.
The unnamed driver was fined 16,500 kroner (€1382.60), ordered to pay 2,000 kroner (€168) in legal fees, and had his licence suspended for nine months, according to a Norwegian TV station (TV2). This case shows the limitations of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology, which isn’t fully autonomous. It also serves as a warning to drivers that they should remain vigilant. The driver can now reflect on the dangers of relying on car technology.
