Dec 08, 2017
Will Self-Driving Cars End DUIs?
Let's say you are out for a night on the town with your buds. You drink way too much, and you know it. Yet, you are not worried about "driving" home since you have one of those new self-driving cars. It's the same as a taxi, you think to yourself. You couldn't possibly be charged with a crime since you are not technically driving. Right? Not so fast!
Tesla, for example, claims that its auto-driving option is actually an assist option. It is not meant to replace its human operator, but assist it and can be disabled at any moment. This alone brings up many questions. For example, let's say you are knowingly driving drunk (something you should NEVER do) and you see the blue lights in your rearview mirror. You turn on your self-driving feature at the moment and have the car pull over. What then? Are you charged? You can point out the car was "driving itself."
As you can see, it is still a very gray area and one that is going to need attention concerning rewriting DUI laws. If you live in Burlington, Essex, Colchester, Winooski, Williston, Shelburne or anywhere in the State of Vermont, and have been arrested or charged with DUI or any crime, call Handy Law for aggressive and experienced legal defense.