WASHINGTON: U.
Automatic safety regulator said on Wednesday they have opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 on the decision of the car maker to allow the game played on the front center touch screen.
National Road Traffic Security Administration (NHTSA) said the preliminary evaluation included a variety of Tesla 37-2022 vehicles Tesla 3, S, X, and Y.
This function, referred to as “passenger whitening,” “can distract the driver and increase the risk of accidents , “said the agency.
NHTSA said it had “confirmed that this ability was available since December 2020 in Tesla ‘Passenger Play’ vehicles.” Before that, the game feature “is only activated when the vehicle is in the park.” NHTSA said in a statement on Wednesday “committed to ensuring the highest safety standards on the nation’s highway.” The agency said the decision to open an investigation was based on the report “Tesla gameplay function can be seen from the driver’s seat and can be activated while driving a vehicle.” The Governor of the Highway Safety Association said on Wednesday it was happy with the Safety Investigation of Tesla Nhtsa “and wanted to remind all drivers to be vigilant and focus on the road when you were behind the wheel.” Tesla did not comment immediately.
NHTSA said it would “evaluate the aspect of features, including frequency and use the scenario of Tesla ‘Passenger Play’.” Earlier this month, The New York Times highlighted the game features, pushing NHTSA to say it was in the discussion with Tesla about his worries.
The agency was recorded earlier in December which distracted driving for a large number of Road Death A.S.
3.142 in 2019 alone.
Safety advocates say official figures underestimate the problem because not all drivers involved in the crash will admit they are disturbed.
Times said Tesla’s update added three matches – Solitaire, the Jet Fighter strategy scenario and conquest – and said that the vehicle had a commemoration of reading: “Play when the car moves only for passengers.” This paper said the game feature asked for confirmation that the player was a passenger, even though the driver could still play just by pressing the button.
In 2013, NHTSA issued a guideline to encourage car makers “to take into account safety and distraction-prevention into their design and adoption of infotainment devices on vehicles.” Guidelines “recommend that the device in a vehicle is designed so that they cannot be used by the driver to carry out a secondary task that interferes inherently while driving,” said the agency.
Agency in August opened a safety investigation at 765,000 Tesla vehicles on the driver’s help system of autopilot after a series of crashes involving the system and parking emergency vehicles.
The initial evaluation was the first step before NHTSA decided whether to update the probe to technical analysis, which must occur before the body can demand withdrawal.
NHTSA said it had received complaints in November about the game features of the Tesla Driver Model 3 in Oregon, which said: “Creating harmful disorders for negligent negligible drivers.” On November 29, Mercedes-Benz Daimler remembered 227 US vehicles – 2021 Model Year S580, 2022 EQS450, EQS580, and S500 – Because of the vehicle infotainment system “might allow television and internet screen activation while driving, causing interference, causing interference, causing interference, cause driver disorders.
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