Motoring: US opens investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over game feature – Gulf Digital News

Motoring: US opens investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over game feature – Gulf Digital News

US auto safety regulators said Wednesday they have opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 over the automaker's decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said its preliminary evaluation covers various 2017-2022 model year Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles. This functionality, referred to as “Passenger Play,” "may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash," the agency said.

NHTSA said it has "confirmed that this capability has been available since December 2020 in Tesla 'Passenger Play'-equipped vehicles." Before then, the game feature "was enabled only when the vehicle was in Park."

Tesla did not immediately comment. NHTSA said it "will evaluate aspects of the feature, including the frequency and use scenarios of Tesla 'Passenger Play'."

Earlier this month, the New York Times highlighted the game feature prompting NHTSA to say it was in discussions with Tesla about the feature.

The agency noted earlier in December that distracted driving accounts for a significant number of US road deaths - 3,142 in 2019 alone. Safety advocates have said official figures underestimate the problem because not all distracted drivers admit the issue after crashes.

The Times