In a high-profile court case unfolding this week, a safety expert testified that Tesla consistently failed to implement safeguards against driver misuse of its Autopilot system, despite knowing for years that the feature was being dangerously misused. The testimony came during a product liability lawsuit involving a fatal crash in which Autopilot was reportedly engaged.

The expert cited internal documents, public reports, and crash data to argue that Tesla’s design choices and marketing of Autopilot encouraged overreliance. The system lacks effective driver monitoring, unlike competitors who use camera-based systems to ensure driver attention. The testimony could have wide-ranging implications for Tesla’s liability in several ongoing legal cases and raises renewed questions about federal oversight of advanced driver-assistance systems.