U.S. SEEKS MORE INFORMATION FROM TESLA IN DRIVE GAME PROBE

Wed 26 January 2022:

The US auto safety authorities is requesting additional information from Tesla Inc for an ongoing investigation involving 580,000 vehicles.

The investigation was launched after Telsa announced its decision to allow passengers to play games on the front center touchscreen while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had opened a preliminary evaluation into 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles in December. The evaluation was done over the vehicle’s “Passenger Play” feature.

The auto safely regulator stated that the gaming feature “may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash.”

Now, NHTSA wants records of any crash reports related “in employment of front seat non-driving related tasks from in-vehicle based devices even if the task is intended only for front seat passenger.”

The authority wants Tesla to provide a timeline of events as well as studies to back up its risk assessment.

So far, Tesla has not responded.

According to the NHTSA, Tesla informed the agency on December 23 that it would no longer allow video games to be played on vehicle screens while the vehicles are moving,

Tesla informed NHTSA that a software update will lock the “Passenger Play” feature and render it unusable while the vehicle is in motion, according to NHTSA.

On Nov. 29, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz recalled 227 U.S. vehicles because the vehicle infotainment systems “might allow activation of the television and internet display while driving, causing a distraction for the driver.”

In 2013, NHTSA issued guidelines to encourage automakers “to factor safety and driver distraction-prevention into their designs and adoption of infotainment devices in vehicles.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent