Tesla cars have a feature that allows you to play video games while the vehicle is in motion. If in theory it is only reserved for passengers, it is now placed under an investigation by the American authorities.
The US government announced this Wednesday, December 22 to look into this potentially dangerous feature.
Tesla under fire in new investigation
Another investigation against Tesla. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal Department of Transportation responsible for road safety in the United States, has launched a formal investigation into the “Passenger Play” functionality of Tesla cars. The latter allows drivers to play video games on the center console while the vehicle is in motion.
Last November, the US regulator in charge of road safety received a complaint from an owner of a Tesla Model 3. The latter wondered about the manufacturer’s authorization to create sources of distraction on board by leaving the possibility for drivers to play while the car is moving and the screen is supposed to display crucial information. He believes that instead it would have been better to reserve this feature for times when the vehicle is parked, such as when it is charging, which was what was done before an update rolled out last summer.
580,000 models evaluated
The American authorities will therefore study a sample of some 580,000 Model 3, Model S, Model Y and Model X produced between 2017 and 2022. Although the offending functionality was primarily designed for passengers, the NHTSA believes that it can ” distract the driver and increase the risk of an accident “. The regulator indicates that the preliminary assessment will focus on potential driver distraction when Passenger Play is activated with a moving car. He will then study different aspects of the feature, which includes multiple scenarios and how often they are used.
For its part, Tesla believes it is taking sufficient precautions to prevent misuse of its functionality, including a notification that the use of Tesla Arcade is restricted to passengers. Then all you have to do is click a button to launch the game – not a very deterrent method.
Source: Engadget
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