Tesla, some video games can be started with the car in motion

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has begun discussing with Tesla an update that was released over the course of last summer that introduced three new games that can also be run with the car in motion. These are Sky Force Reloaded, Solitaire and The Battle of Polytopia. We wanted to check on an Italian Model 3 with the latest software update and it is actually possible to start these games on the go.

A message appears ” Only a passenger can play Tesla Arcade while the vehicle is in motion. Check the current names before playing. Therefore, confirming that the player is playing is a passenger and not the driver, you can start playing.

We also noticed that the Solitaire game could also run with a call in progress, while the other two games could not. The other securities on the Tesla, at least for the moment, can only be performed when the car is stationary and parked. To point out this news, The New York Times raised doubts about the safety of this feature.

In response to the article published by The New York Times, the NHTSA intervened saying that it was examining the functionality of video games and was discussing them with Tesla.

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Distraction-related accidents are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with a range of technologies such as infotainment. We are aware of drivers’ concerns and are discussing the functionality with the manufacturer.

After all, distraction while driving is one of the main causes of road accidents. The notice asking to confirm that the passenger is playing the game is certainly not a sufficient deterrent. Solitaire can be played on its own and you may think that some careless driver might get to play it with the Autopilot system active.

In theory, the internal camera of the new Tesla should keep under control any distractions of the driver with the Autopilot running. It is not clear, however, if this is enough since in the past someone had managed to fool the internal camera. Also, having a game running short distances can still lead to the driver throwing one eye too many on the screen. A distraction that in some cases could be fatal. It will therefore be interesting to understand how the discussions between Tesla and the NHTSA will end.

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