U.S. Government formally investigates Tesla over allowing drivers to play video games
The Passenger Play feature specifically.
The U.S. is launching a formal investigation into reports of Tesla vehicles allowing drivers to play video games while driving.
Earlier in December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a formal complaint by Tesla owner Vince Patton after discovering that he could play video games on the vehicle’s dashboard touchscreen. After reviewing Patton’s information, the NHTSA is looking into the matter further.
A report by the Los Angeles Times states the NHTSA has begun a formal investigation into roughly 580,000 Tesla vehicles from model years between 2017 to 2022. Specifically, the “Passenger Play” feature is called into question, as it could potentially be a dangerous distraction for drivers.
One of the video games available via Tesla’s Passenger Play is Sky Force Reloaded. As you can see from the footage below, it is full of bright explosions that could potentially impair someone driving.
NHTSA’s investigation covers Tesla’s X, S, 3, and Y models to evaluate the driver distraction potential of Passenger Play, as well as thoroughly conduct test scenarios where the feature might be in use.
Since Tesla disbanded its media relations department back in October 2020, the company has yet to comment on the situation publicly.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.