Tesla Inc. restricts access to the games available in its vehicles and turns off a feature that allows people to play games on a front touchscreen while driving, according to the leading US auto safety agency.
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The reverse comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the feature earlier this week, concerned about a possible driver distraction.
For about a year now, people have been able to play some Tesla’s games on the front touchscreen while the vehicles are in motion, the agency said. Previously, people could only do this while parking, according to the NHTSA.
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Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reversal or at the time of the proposed change.
Tesla has sometimes adopted a combative tone with regulators. Earlier this year, the company said it disagreed with the NHTSA that touchscreen failures represented a shortage on its vehicles, despite agreeing with a recall of around 135,000 Model S sedans and Model X sport-utility vehicles continue.
The NHTSA announced that it received a consumer complaint about Tesla’s in-car gaming earlier this year. The agency is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the feature.
| ticker | safety | Last | change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 1,067.00 | +58.13 | + 5.76% |
On Wednesday, Tesla asked those who wanted to play games on the centrally located front touchscreen while driving to confirm they were a passenger. Games available included Solitaire, Sky Force Reloaded, and The Battle of Polytopia. Certain other games were only available when vehicles were parked.
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The NHTSA has also investigated Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system known as autopilot after a series of accidents involving Tesla and one or more parked ambulances.
Write to Rebecca Elliott at [email protected]
