Tesla has reportedly enabled the ability for passengers to play games on the in-car dash while the vehicle is in motion. Most vehicle manufacturers disable in-car entertainment features while the car is moving. Tesla has also previously disabled in-car entertainment features while on the road, but that has apparently changed recently opening up new safety concerns.
In-car entertainment features can be particularly useful and especially in an electric vehicle. With a family potentially stuck at a charging station for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour, entertainment features can be a great way to wind down and relax while the car is charging. That is, when not running to the restroom or grabbing some food. Due to the benefits, Tesla has placed an increased focus on its infotainment system.
According to a report by the New York Times, Tesla started rolling out a software update for all its cars this summer that enabled those in the passenger seat to play Solitaire, Sky Force, and The Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise while the car is on the road. The report goes on to say that these games can be played by either the driver or the passenger. Tesla does put up a warning that states games are only meant for the passenger, but doesn't appear to have any checks in place to prevent the driver from playing while driving. The popup simply reads, "[Game title] is a game for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is only for passengers." The driver or passenger can simply acknowledge the dialog and start playing the game.
Don't Play And Drive
The lack of an ability to prevent drivers from playing games is a safety concern. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2019 in the United States. In a 2017 study, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety warned that infotainment systems could pose a safety problem. While smartphone mirroring systems such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are designed to offer a hands-free experience by relying heavily on voice assistants, even they can be problematic at times. For example, and depending on network conditions, users could easily get frustrated waiting for Siri, Google Assistant, or even Alexa to respond.
It's unclear why Tesla made the decision to allow games to be played while the car is in motion. A particularly bizarre move when the car is effectively relying on an honor system to ensure that the driver isn't starting up a game. One potential reason is that Tesla may be getting very comfortable in its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving systems and readying for a day where the car is fully autonomous. However, and as has been proven time and time again, full autonomy is still a few years away, making the ability to play games in a moving Tesla something that's likely to lead to more distracted driving in the future.
Source: New York Times, NHTSA, AAA