The Netherlands greenlights Tesla self-driving mode, first in Europe

The Netherlands has become the first country in Europe to approve self-driving Teslas. The driver assistance system can now be used by Dutch drivers on roads throughout the country.

Self-driving Teslas approved for use on Dutch roads

The Dutch road safety and traffic organisation RDW has approved Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) function. This makes the Netherlands the first country in Europe to allow this.

While you may be thinking that this means driverless cars will be zooming around the country, that is not the case. The function is a driver assistance system and still requires a driver to pay attention, even if their hands are not on the steering wheel. “The driver remains responsible and must always maintain control,” the RDW emphasises to AD. 

The system allows the car to accelerate, brake and steer on its own, but if it detects that the driver is not paying attention, it will issue a warning and require them to demonstrate that they are attentive, after which the system switches itself off if an insufficient response is given . This means that a driver is not allowed to be on their mobile phone or read a book while behind the wheel, for example. 

Tesla’s FSD joins other driver assistance systems

As of April 11, the self-driving function in Teslas will be permitted for use on Dutch roads, joining other systems such as BMW's hands-free system and Ford BlueCruise, which have been approved across Europe. The traffic organisation maintains that the version of Tesla's system used in the Netherlands is very different from that used in the US, where it has been responsible for traffic violations and road accidents.

In a press release, RDW said it had extensively tested Tesla’s FSD function for more than 18 months and found that using the system correctly “makes a positive contribution to road safety”. RDW has also submitted an application to the European Commission to allow self-driving Teslas throughout the member states.