In -vehicle game tours that can be played while Tesla and drivers are driving US authorities investigated

　The electric vehicle (EV) maker TESLA has been found to have been officially interrogated by the US government over video games.Currently, the US Transportation Road Safety Bureau (NHTSA) has begun investigating the function that drivers can play games on the infotainment screen in the car while driving.NHTSA states that the function may "distract the driver's attention and increase the risk of collision accidents."

　In this survey, about 580,000 units are targeted by "Model S", "Model X", "Model 3", and "Model Y" equipped with the "Passenger Play" function.TESLA has added various video games to the touch screen in the center of the dashboard, and used to be able to play only when stopped.It is believed that it was changed to play while driving in December 2020, but the reason is not clear.

　Passenger Play has a function that displays a warning statement saying, "Only passengers can play while the car can play."To access the game, it is necessary to check on the screen and tap the button, but it can be operated by passengers and drivers.

　THE NEW YORK TIMES reported this issue on December 7, US time.The next day, NHTSA contacted Tesla.

　TESLA has also been investigated by US authorities on the driving support system "Autopilot".NHTSA announced in August that it will officially investigate the safety of Autopilot's level 2 driving support function.The survey stated that it would investigate multiple collision accidents, especially with an emergency vehicle.NHTSA has received 11 collisions or flames since January 2018.

　US CNET asked Tesla to comment, but no answer was obtained.TESLA does not have a public relations department to respond to such interviews.

This article edited by Asahi Interactive for an article from overseas RED VENTURES for Japan.