It is safe to say that owning a Tesla is the dream of almost any automobile enthusiast. Starting from the exterior to the interior, the car gives off a very futuristic look.
It has a touchscreen installed inside of it and has a co-pilot option as well. But can you play games in a tesla while it’s driving?
Well, the answer to that question is a big fat no. The feature was available at first but then was disabled for obvious safety reasons.
We have discussed this in full detail in the sections below, so keep on reading to know more.
Tesla Introducing Playing Games While Driving Feature
In 2019, Tesla introduced a brand-new feature into their system; the driver was able to play games even when they were driving. The on-center touch display had a feature known as Passenger Play, and this allowed the user to play games.
You’d be able to find a very good array of games present in the Entertainment part of the car’s system. The game includes; Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Breakout, Beach Buggy Racing 2, The Battle of Polytopia, and the very popular game Solitaire.
Tesla cars have other remarkable and entertaining features in their system, which include Sketch Pad and Karaoke. These features also need confirmation from the user that they are indeed a passenger and not driver.
Security Concerns
Obviously, this unexpected update drew up a lot of eyebrows, and many have voiced their concerns over the actual safety issues.
Needless to say, people often risk their lives while they are behind the wheel. This could be either by texting while driving or being under the influence.
But the new feature brought in a myriad of safety concerns for the driver, the passengers, and the pedestrians. Distracted driving is one of the rising causes of automobile accidents, and the fatalities are climbing along with it as well.
These sorts of features are not only limited to Tesla cars. They are practically available in all the cars that are being designed and released new in the market that come with video screens.
In certain cars, you will even be able to schedule a flight or order food. Some vehicles are designed in such a that only passengers can watch videos on the screen and not the driver.
But with Tesla’s update, the driver could load the game using the pop-up menu.
When the feature was first introduced, there were a number of games that would still work while the car was on the move.
A prompt would pop on the display and would ask the user if they are the passenger or not. The driver could simply say yes to the question and continue to play the game while they are behind the wheel.
From the very start, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has continuously talked about their concerns regarding their Autopilot system and the Full Self-Driving feature as well.
The gaming feature that the company had introduced also raised quite a few many concerns, and a complaint was filed against it by Vince Patton.
A formal investigation was said to be initiated by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to see if the games were actually coming off as a distraction for the drivers.
No More Games While Driving Your Tesla
Tesla was under fire for introducing such a risky feature in its update without thinking about the repercussions or the safety concerns.
Due to numerous complaints, tesla puts brakes on playing video games while driving.
Hold on; they did not remove the feature of playing games in your Tesla altogether. You will just not be able to play it while the car is in motion.
When the gears are shifted to the drive mode, the option to play games from the Theatre or the screen disappears. So, in short, Passenger Play will be disabled when the vehicle is moving.
After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) vocalized its desire for a formal investigation regarding this matter, Tesla decided to remove the feature from its system just the day after.
Regardless of what Tesla has decided to do about their Passenger Play feature NHTSA has decided to go along with their investigation to find out whether or not Tesla’s entertainment system acts as a distraction for the drivers.
Final Words
Can you play games in a Tesla while it’s driving? Not anymore. Thankfully, they have disabled this feature and have won people’s faith back.
There is absolutely no need for the driver to be playing games while driving; we already have other forms of distractions present already, and we certainly don’t need a new addition to that.
Since traffic fatalities are increasing, it is our duty to stay away from any forms of distractions and drive responsibly. Keep your eyes on the road, and just keep driving.
