According to the The New York Times, Elon Musk’s auto manufacturer has locked access to “passenger play,”
a function that lets passengers to play video games on an interior touch screen while driving. The idea originated after safety officials in the United States revealed they were looking into the feature, which was released in December 2020. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, is conducting the investigation, which covers approximately 580,000 Tesla models manufactured after 2017.
The investigation was launched after the agency received reports that web browsing and video game play were taking place on Tesla's built-in screens while the vehicle was in motion. It was also discovered that, contrary to popular opinion, the feature was not limited to Tesla passengers because the screen is positioned on the dashboard and within reach of the driver.
“Following the opening of a preliminary evaluation of Tesla’s ‘Passenger Play,’ Tesla informed the agency that it is changing the functionality of this feature,” NHTSA said in a statement. “In a new software update, ‘Passenger Play’ will now be locked and unusable when the vehicle is in motion.”
The agency is also looking into a recent wave of fatal car crashes employing Tesla's controversial Autopilot, according to the New York Times. Since 2016, scores of traffic accidents and ten deaths have been attributed to the driver-assistance technology, which allows vehicles to steer, brake, and accelerate automatically. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration voiced concern that drivers were utilizing Autopilot and passenger play at the same time.
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