An investigation has been launched in the US into more than half a million Tesla cars that are equipped with touchscreens. It follows a complaint filed by a user who discovered he could play games while driving.
Tesla Models Investigated by NHTSA
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into some 580,000 Tesla Models 3, S, and X made from 2017 to the current day.
Tesla has not yet responded to the investigation, according to BBC.
The feature under scrutiny is called Passenger Play, and it allows users to play games on their in-car touchscreen.
It does warn that playing while in motion is "only for passengers" and asks for confirmation of this before allowing gameplay.
But the NHTSA noted that Passenger Play "may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash."
It added that the feature had been available since December 2020. Previously the game feature was only enabled when the vehicle was in Park mode.
Earlier this month, the NHTSA reported that 3,142 road deaths in 2019 were attributed to distracted drivers.
Guidelines published by the agency in 2013 recommend that in-vehicle devices be designed so that they cannot be used by the driver "to perform inherently distracting secondary tasks while driving."
Last month, Tesla owner Vince Patton from Oregon spotted a video on YouTube which highlighted how Passenger Play could be used by drivers.
After testing it in a car park and finding he could indeed play several games while driving, he filed a complaint with the NHTSA, describing the feature as "recklessly negligent."
Earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for an issue caused by a computer configuration error that allowed drivers to browse the internet or watch television while the cars were moving.
Safety Concerns
Tesla updated its software allowing vehicle occupants to play video games on the center touchscreen while in motion, raising questions about safety and driver distraction. Previously, video games were only playable while the vehicle was in park.
But according to The New York Times, an over-the-air software update was pushed out last summer, enabling the ability to launch some games regardless of whether the car was stationary or not, raising serious concerns about safety.
The Verge confirmed in a Tesla Model 3 that Sky Force Reloaded, Solitaire, and The Battle of Polytopia are playable on the center touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion.
A notification asks the player to confirm they aren't the driver before launching the game, but the message is hardly a deterrent. A driver could easily tap "I AM A PASSENGER" and play a complex action game like Sky Force while in motion.
Some interactive apps in the car worked in motion even before the update, including the drawing pad and the Karaoke mode in music - which also warns the driver not to participate.
A Model 3 owner told the Times that he had filed a complaint to the NHTSA upon discovery of the games being playable while driving in his car. That complaint won't be a first. Tesla currently has 59 complaints from owners regarding the Model 3.
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Written by Sophie Webster
