Tesla’s In-Car Video Games Get the Attention of Safety Inspectors

Tesla’s Under Investigation

Tesla/Twitter

That’s right, the United States’ Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has actually opened up an investigation into whether or not Tesla’s in-car video game system is dangerous. While the DOT has no problem with drivers playing while parked, they have some concerns about the Passenger Play feature. For those that don’t know, the Passenger Play feature, as the name suggests, allows passengers to play while the car is in use.

The new Passenger Play feature was rolled out by the company earlier this month, according to the New York Times. While Tesla Arcade has been a part of the car’s system since early 2019, it had previously only worked when a Tesla was in park. If you have never checked it out, the Tesla Arcade is loaded with games – everything from classic arcade hits to modern gems – so you can see why people fell in love with the feature. But should passengers be allowed to play, when the feature could be abused by drivers?

According to The Verge, when using the Passenger Play feature, a notification appears that asks the user to confirm they are passengers, not the driver, like some GPS maps apps. However, “there’s little to prevent a driver from tapping the button and playing the games,” The Verge reported. And thus started the investigation…

Don’t Drive And Play

Tesla/Twitter

In a recent press release, the NHTSA stated that roughly 580,000 cars — the 2017 to 2022 Models 3, S, X, Y — will be part of its massive investigation. That’s quite a lot of cars! The problem with the Passenger Play was first brought to the attention of the NHTSA because of a citizen complaint. However, we should be clear: there have been no crashes or injuries have been reported as a result of the Passenger Play feature.

“Why is a manufacturer allowed to create an inherently distracting live video which takes over 2⁄3 of the screen which the driver relies on for all vehicle information?,” the citizen remarked in the complaint. “NHTSA needs to prohibit all live video in the front seat and all live interactive web browsing while the car is in motion. Creating a dangerous distraction for the driver is recklessly negligent.”

Incredibly, Tesla also remains under NHTSA investigation because of its Autopilot feature. So far, Tesla has not responded to the inquiry. That might be because the company “dissolved” its media department last year. Fans of the car – and the feature – will need to wait and see what the NHTSA finds…