Tesla halts use of video games in moving cars amid safety probe
Source: Washington Post
Technology
Tesla halts use of video games in moving cars amid safety probe
The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into the ‘Passenger Play’ feature this week.
By Faiz Siddiqui
Yesterday at 4:10 p.m. EST|Updated yesterday at 5:00 p.m. EST
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla will no longer allow drivers and front-seat passengers to play video games while its cars are in motion, the company told federal regulators after a probe was opened this week.
“Tesla informed the agency that it is changing the functionality of this feature,” Lucia Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said. “In a new software update, ‘Passenger Play’ will now be locked and unusable when the vehicle is in motion.”
[Federal regulators probing Tesla over drivers’ ability to play video games in moving cars] (1)
Sanchez said Tesla’s move followed the opening of a preliminary evaluation into the feature on Tuesday, which allowed drivers and passengers to play solitaire and more advanced games while the car was moving by simply agreeing to a prompt that the software was for passenger use.
“The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with defects posing unreasonable risks to safety, including technologies that distract drivers from driving safely,” Sanchez said.
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By Faiz Siddiqui
Faiz Siddiqui is a reporter with The Washington Post's technology team. His coverage includes Silicon Valley's ride-hailing giants, nascent mobility startups and companies deploying electric and self-driving vehicles. Twitter https://twitter.com/faizsays
(1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/22/tesla-video-games/
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/23/tesla-video-games/
Tesla will no longer allow drivers and front-seat passengers to play video games while its cars are in motion, the company told federal regulators after a probe was opened this week.
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Big screen video games while driving is a recipe for wreaks, veering off the road, and getting people killed.
Cell phones are already doing a good job of that.
Who could have possibly known that letting a car drive itself or playing games, watching movies or making phone calls while driving might impair your paying attention to the road?......
KY.......
