Press

Given that it will take years, or perhaps decades, before AVs are in the majority on roads, a self-driving vehicle mandate may be a long and gradual process before becoming the law of the land. Bryant Walker Smith is a law professor at the University of South Carolina who advises governments and companies on transport technologies. He notes that technological advances allowing for less expensive conversion kits to retrofit older vehicles to self-driving cars may smooth the transition away from human pilots, “making restrictions on human driving more palatable”. Read more about Robot-only roads face costs and limited benefits

While a driver is legally responsible for such misbehavior, the fine print in Tesla advertising provides a weak defense against deceptive marketing allegations, according Bryant Walker Smith, a leading expert on automated vehicle law at the University of South Carolina. He cites the Lanham Act, the set of federal laws that govern trademarks. Read more about DMV probing whether Tesla violates state regulations with self-driving claims

And the "sheer size of the state" is another important factor, said Bryant Walker Smith, associate professor in the School of Law and the School of Engineering at the University of South Carolina. Smith wonders how much of Tesla's current operations-- including associated employees -- will be moving. The answer is still unknown. Read more about Elon Musk makes a big promise to Texas, but critics worry he may fall short