Pressured by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla has consented to remove all video games access from drivers when they drive. The NHTSA announced that Tesla will send out a software update over the internet so the “Passenger Play” function will be locked while the cars are in motion. Tesla made this decision one day after NHTSA initiated an official investigation regarding the allegation that Tesla drivers can play video games while driving.
A YouTube video shows exactly how Tesla drivers can easily bypass the passenger security system and start gaming while driving. This investigation was evoked by complaint submitted to NHTSA from Tesla Model 3 owner Vince Patton, in November. Mr. Vince saw the YouTube video and was curious to try for himself. He drove to an empty community college parking lot and loaded a few games in his car. “I thought surely that can’t be right. I only did it for like five seconds and then turned it off. I’m astonished. To me, it just seems inherently dangerous.” Mr. Vince is a 59-year-old retired journalist who lives near Portland, Oregon. He was extremely worried about Tesla’s driving safety. “Somebody’s going to get killed. It’s absolutely insane.” In his letter to NHTSA, he specified that NHTSA needs to prohibit all live video games in the front seat and all interactive web browsing when the car is in motion. The official probe conducted by NHTSA was “to evaluate the driver distraction potential of Tesla ‘Passenger Play’ while the vehicle is being driven.”
This doesn’t mean that Tesla is free to move on. The company has been dealing with a few other investigations over the past years, including one on its “Autopilot” system. NHTSA is still investigating why Tesla’s “Autopilot” driving system keeps crashing into stopped emergency vehicles.