Road Hazard: You Might Want to Avoid Tesla Drivers For One Frightening Reason
You might want to avoid one of the most significant road hazards you can find, Tesla drivers. The reason is frightening, to say the least. Luckily, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is already looking into the situation. Recently, Tesla began allowing its drivers to play games on their infotainment screen while driving.
Avoid Tesla drivers: they could be playing a game
It’s no secret that Tesla vehicles come equipped with the ability to play video games on the front center screen. People waiting for their car to charge for years or just hanging out inside have used this fantastic feature. Historically, your Tesla always needed to park for the games to work on the screen. The automaker just released a software update that allows drivers to play games while the vehicle is moving.
You read that correctly; when you see a Tesla on the road, the driver could be playing video games. Tesla drivers can play games like Solitaire while the car is in motion. While you’re trying to weave in and out of traffic, a Tesla driver might be trying to find the King of Hearts. If that sounds dangerous, that’s probably because it is.
The NHTSA is investigating Tesla’s dangerous new update
According to the Associated Press, a Tesla Model 3 owner saw on YouTube that this new feature was available through an update. He then immediately filed a complaint with the NHTSA.
“I was just dumbfounded that, yes, sure enough, this sophisticated video game came up, somebody’s going to get killed. It’s absolutely insane.” the man told AP.
New York Times pointed out that the display screen gives a warning screen stating that playing while motion is for passengers only. Of course, there’s no way for a Tesla to differentiate between the driver or passenger playing. Anyone can bypass the warning message, and a game will run on the infotainment screen. Even if a passenger is playing the game, it is very distracting for the driver.
The NHTSA has not opened a formal investigation yet but confirmed that it is looking into the problem.
“We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer. The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects posing unreasonable risks to safety.” an NHTSA spokeswoman told CarScoops.
What video games are available in a Tesla?
There aren’t only tiny flash games like Solitaire available in Tesla vehicles. There are also highly complex, robust video games like you’d find on a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, and Stardew Valley are just a few of the highlights. How can someone resist playing while driving if the feature is available with games like these? Not to mention, fighting monsters as Geralt of Rivia is far more distracting than playing a card game.
The Tesla brand is known for pushing the envelope of innovation and setting the stage for the next generation of vehicles. It started a trend of massive screens on the front center console and followed it up with playable video games. Now, its most recent feature could be dangerous to Tesla owners and other drivers on the road.
Thankfully, the NHTSA is looking into the problem and will likely take action soon. For now, you might want to avoid Tesla drivers for this one frightening reason.
