Tesla, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company, has upgraded its software. It allows drivers to play video games on the centre touchscreen while driving in autopilot. It is raising safety concerns. New York Times reports, the games were added in an over-the-air software update. It was upgraded in the majority of the company’s vehicles this summer.
The games could played by a driver or a passenger in full view of the driver. This certainly raises new concerns about whether Tesla is sacrificing safety. As it rushes to add new technologies and features to its vehicles, according to the report. “It is a big concern for sure,” says Jonathan Adkins. He is executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which coordinates state efforts to promote safe driving.
NHTSA needs to prohibit all live video in the front seat
Video games could previously only run while the vehicle was in park. For several years, safety experts have criticized Tesla’s Autopilot system. It allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. For extended periods when they are certainly supposed to. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the combination of hands-free driving and drivers looking away from the road has been linked to at least 12 traffic deaths in Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot mode since 2016.
According to Adkins, however, the inclusion of video games “cries out for NHTSA to provide some guidance and regulation.” The spokesperson declines to give further detail. Regarding the company’s discussions with Tesla. The agency has not initiated a formal investigation, which would entail requests for documents and other specific information. Tesla did not respond to messages from The Associated Press after it disbanded its media relations department. The NHTSA’s investigation is the latest in a long line of potential violations. It involves advanced automotive technology. It is certainly under investigation by two federal agencies as a potential safety hazard.
