Much The vehicle allows the driver to play certain games on the infotainment system while the vehicle is in motion . The company rolled out an update over the summer that supposedly lets drivers play solitaire, the fighter game.Sky Force reload” and the strategic title”Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise” while on the road.
The touch screen is supposed to show a warning before the solitaire game starts. “Solitaire is a game for everyone, but playing while the vehicle is in motion is for passengers only,” the announcement read, according to Times. That indicates Tesla know the game can be played while the car is in motion.
Although the player has to admit that they are a passenger, the driver can press that button and play the game. Even when the passenger is playing something, it is possible that the driver will turn their attention to the screen to see what is going on.
NS National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 3,142 people died in distracted driver-related crashes in the US in 2019. A 2017 study found that many infotainment features caught a driver’s attention too long to they are safe. Researchers at the University of Utah , when drivers used the voice-based system and the touchscreen, they “taken their hands, eyes, and minds off the road for more than 24 seconds to complete the task.”
Drivers must keep their hands on the wheel while driving Tesla’s Autopilot, but a recent study shows when the mode is active. In August, NHTSA say it is Autopilot investigation after several collisions with parked first responders. As a result, one person died and 17 were injured.
Other automakers lock down many of the touchscreens and infotainment features when the vehicle is in motion. Stellantis (fka Fiat For example, Chrysler) allows drivers and passengers to watch DVDs on dashboard screens in some vehicles, although only when the vehicle is parked. NHTSA urges automakers to ensure that cars have infotainment devices that prevent drivers from performing “subtasks that are inherently distracting while driving.”
Tesla has its infotainment system over the past few years. Until a few months ago, they were only playable while the car was parked. NS Times Tesla and its CEO said Elon Musk did not respond to a request for comment – the company no longer has a PR department. Engadget contacted NHTSA for comment.
