Tesla Under Investigation for “Passenger Play” Video Game Concerns
Electric vehicle giant Tesla is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its Passenger Play feature. Per its name, Passenger Play allows Tesla passengers to access a variety of video games on the vehicle’s dashboard screen while the car is in motion through the Tesla Arcade system. Although this might sound like a fun way to keep passengers entertained, and let drivers play while the car is in “park” mode, recent complaints note that drivers can also access these games while the vehicle is in motion.
The New York Times reported that, after a software update this past summer, Tesla owners found they were able to play these games while driving, “raising fresh questions about whether Tesla is compromising safety as it rushes to add new technologies and features in its cars.” And even if the driver cannot play these games while driving, is it really safe for a passenger to interact with video games on the driver’s dash console while the driver should be concentrating on the task at hand?
“Inherently dangerous”
Vince Patton, a Tesla owner who brought the issue to media attention, attempted to drive and play a game in his Model 3 in the safety of an empty parking lot – and was successful. He told the NYT he had heard over the summer that Tesla owners could drive and play video games at the same time and thought, “Surely that can’t be right.” However, after his short test drive, he reported, “I only did it for like five seconds and then turned it off. I’m astonished. To me, it just seems inherently dangerous.”
The NHTSA agreed, and immediately launched an investigation upon publication of the New York Times report. Until this past summer’s update, drivers and passengers could only access Tesla’s games while the car was in park mode. However, now the NHTSA wants to know why this entertainment can now be accessed in full view of the driver, explaining:
“Distraction-affected crashes are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with an array of convenience technologies such as entertainment screens. The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects posing unreasonable risks to safety.”
What is the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act?
Signed in 1966, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act established the federal government’s responsibility for enforcing highway and transportation safety standards, in response to an alarming increase in highway fatalities. This legislation led to the creation of the NHTSA, as well as a notable drop in vehicle accidents due to:
- Safer vehicle design and technologies like airbags, seat belts, and stability control
- Improved roads and infrastructure, like guardrails, rumble strips, and better lighting
- Behavioral safety programs for better public adherence, including sober driving, using seat belts, and using child safety seats
- Improved and more comprehensive emergency medical services, better trauma transport, and developments in medicine to make serious injuries more survivable
With the Passenger Play feature causing an obvious distracted driving risk, the NHTSA’s investigation forced Tesla to agree to send out an update to its software that would prohibit the feature from working while the vehicle is in motion. However, there is currently no set date as to when that update may arrive in Tesla owner’s vehicles.
Distracted driving is not a game
It won’t be a good look for Tesla if they don’t act quickly to rectify this issue – especially since automaker Mercedes recently had a similar issue and repaired it swiftly on its own accord. We all know that distracted driving is a big contributor to car accidents here in Tennessee and around the country. In fact, the NHTSA reports that 3,142 Americans lost their lives to distracted driving accidents in 2019.
Here’s an often-repeated, but important, fact about distracted driving. When a driver takes their eyes off the road for five seconds – the time it takes to read a text, or maybe make a move in a video game – it’s like driving the length of a football field with a blindfold on. Even a vehicle equipped with hands-free driving, like Tesla, is not infallible. The NYT points out:
Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can steer, slow and accelerate a car on its own, has for several years faced criticism from safety experts because it allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for extended periods, even though they are not supposed to. And it lacks an effective means of ensuring that drivers keep their eyes on the road.
Without an “effective means” of knowing whether drivers have their eyes on the road, coupled with the ability to play video games behind the wheel, Tesla’s Passenger Play could be a recipe for disaster. How bad? The report filed with the NHTSA back in August reads as follows:
Tesla is now making interactive video games and live internet web searching possible on the main front seat display while the car is driving. 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? Creating a dangerous distraction for the driver is recklessly negligent.
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