Tesla under NHTSA investigation for its Passenger Play feature following opening of this feature when the vehicle is in motion.
Tesla is an automaker that has already dramatically transformed the way we approach the automotive industry, including seeing the car as a software product in its own right, with updates, unlockable features, etc.
The brand has also incorporated a number of very modern and interesting options into its vehicles. One of them is worth to him today to be under the blow of an investigation.
Tesla under NHTSA investigation for its Passenger Play feature
One of the very interesting functions, but also quite strange, in the end, present in Tesla cars is the possibility of playing video games directly on the touchscreen of the dashboard.
This feature is called Passenger Play. Originally it was only possible to play when the car was stationary, in the parked position, but this summer Tesla rolled out a rather controversial update that allows you to play while the car is in motion.
following the opening of this function when the vehicle is moving
By doing so, the brand simply wants to offer the passenger another way to pass the time while the driver is driving, but, at the same time, what prevents the driver from playing a video game himself?
It is a question that worries, and rightly so. So much so that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – a US federal agency responsible for road safety – has announced that it is opening a formal investigation into precisely this feature.
According to the agency’s preliminary assessment:
“The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opens a Preliminary Assessment (PE) on certain Model 3, S, X and Y vehicles manufactured between 2017 and 2022, following reports claiming that Tesla’s video game functionality, which is visible on the touchscreen of the center console from the driver’s seat can be activated even when the vehicle is in motion. This feature, dubbed ‘Passenger Play’, can distract the driver and increase the risk of an accident.”
No one knows, at this stage, if Tesla can be sanctioned and in what proportions, it will depend on the results of the investigation, but the manufacturer has not yet responded to this statement.