German court ruled Tesla's touchscreen windshield wiper controls are the same as texting while driving

• Tesla's touchscreen windshield wiper controls are the same as using a phone while driving, a German court said in March.
• The case stems from a 2017 wreck which landed a driver with a fine and license suspension, and regained attention when a local blog published details of the ruling in late July and US media picked it up this week.
• Usually, the wipers are automatic, but manual speed controls exist on the cars central control system.

A 2017 wreck is still causing headaches for Tesla.

A German judge ruled earlier this year that the touchscreen controls for Tesla's windshield wipers — usually automatic, but manual speed controls can be used — constitute an illegal mobile device, according to the BBC.

Newfound interest in the case spiked because of a local legal blog's recent reporting on the accident, which was spotted by US media this week. The judgment from March sets a precedent for further Tesla cases and backs up the driver's original punishment, a fine and license suspension, which is the same as using a phone while driving.

Jalopnik's Jason Torchinsky puts it a little more bluntly: "You should not have to look at a damn center-mounted touchscreen button to change your wiper speed."

German courts have had it out for Tesla this year.

In July, a judge sided with a German trade organization when it ruled that Tesla's Autopilot ads were misleading about the driver-assistance software's capabilities.

The software has been blamed in a handful of wrecks where inattentive drivers lost control of their vehicles. Tesla maintains the quick reactions and automatic braking improves traffic safety.