Tesla cars are known for many things, such as their ability to play video games. Over the years, these electric vehicles have been equipped with powerful gaming hardware, allowing graphically intensive games such as The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 to be played on some models. While this relatively new technology is impressive, some people are concerned about its safety for those on the road.
Recently, the US government announced that it is investigating over half a million Tesla cars. This new investigation stemmed from a complaint received by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). According to the complaint filed in August, features such as playing video games and browsing the web were enabled during driving. While these entertainment options were meant only for passengers, it was argued that drivers also had access to them, which could cause distractions while operating a motor vehicle.
This upcoming preliminary evaluation by the ODI (Office of Defects and Investigations) will look at roughly 580,000 Tesla vehicles, including Model 3, Model S, and Model X, between the model years of 2017 and 2022. The main focus of the examination will pertain to the functionality of the Passenger Play feature present in these vehicles. Even though the option is only supposed to be used by those not driving the car, some fear it distracts the driver. Through this upcoming investigation, the ODI plans to determine if Passenger Play increases the possibility of a crash.
This news shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering the ongoing controversy between Tesla and the US Government. Over the past few months, the NHTSA has expressed concerns about the safety of Tesla cars. While Passenger Play has allowed people to play games from the Tesla Arcade while parked for a while now, it recently received an update allowing passengers to access a trio of games, Sky Force Reloaded, Solitaire, and The Battle of Polytopia, while the vehicle is in motion. While the updated feature is intended for passengers only, there is little stopping a driver from utilizing it.
This news comes as Tesla plans to make even more video games accessible through various models of its cars. Recently, the company partnered with SEGA to bring the classic platformer Sonic the Hedgehog to its vehicles. This retro title joins an impressive list of popular titles available in Tesla cars, such as Stardew Valley, Cuphead, and Fallout Shelter. It will be interesting to see if this ongoing investigation from the NHTSA impacts the number of games available on these cars moving forward.
Source: The Verge