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The federal government’s top auto safety regulator said Wednesday it has begun investigating a new feature in Tesla cars. allowing drivers to play video games on a large touchscreen while vehicles are in motion.
“We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing this feature with the manufacturer,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
The video game feature was included in a software update that Tesla released over the summer. The agency’s statement is that The New York Times’ auto experts can create a safety risk by distracting drivers.
The news about the security agency’s investigation was first Bloomberg News.
Tesla has been offering video games for several years on its touchscreens, which dominate the dashboards of its cars and are used to control many aspects of the vehicles. However, the original playset was only playable when the car was parked. An update over the air this summer added solitaire and two other games that can be played by a driver or a passenger in full view of the driver, raising questions about safety and the potential for drivers to be distracted from the road.
“Accidents involving distraction are a concern, especially in vehicles equipped with a range of convenience technologies such as entertainment screens,” the safety agency said. “The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design flaws that pose unreasonable safety risks.”
Some safety experts have criticized Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can steer, slow and accelerate a car on its own, and has several safeguards to keep drivers hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. According to data from the safety agency, there have been at least 12 traffic fatalities since 2016 involving Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot mode, where hands-free driving and driver inattention were cited as possible causes.
Tesla seemed to be aware that the new games could be played while the car was in motion. Before the game starts, a warning appears on the screen that says “Solitaire is for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is for passengers only”. The system asks for confirmation that the person who wants to play the game is a passenger, but nothing prevents drivers from clicking the button and starting the game.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
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