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Tesla owners can now play video games… while their car is moving

Latest development sees Elon Musk’s company accused of encouraging driver distraction. Could it put cyclists in even more danger?

Owners of Tesla cars can now play video games while driving their vehicles following the company’s latest update, with Elon Musk’s business accused of encouraging driver distraction and endangering them and other road users.

The infotainment touchscreen panel that sits in the middle of the dashboard – and which in the latest models has a whopping 17-inch display, bigger than most laptop screens – has been capable of being used to play video games for a while now when the vehicle is in park mode.

But the New York Times reports that following an over-the-air software update released to most vehicles over the summer, those games as well as a number of new titles can now be played while the vehicle is in motion – leading to criticism of the company by safety bodies in the US, which have already raised major concerns over the vehicles’ Autopilot mode.

There is no doubt that Tesla itself is aware of the potential for motorists to be playing games while their cars are moving, with the newspaper reporting that when loading one game, a warning is given which reads, “Solitaire is a game for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is only for passengers.”

There is a button that needs to be pressed to confirm that the person playing is indeed a passenger, but it’s not hard to envisage a driver pressing that – plus, given the size of the screen, if the person sitting next to the motorist is playing a video game while the vehicle is being driven, that in itself is highly likely to cause distraction.

Jonathan Adkins, who is the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which brings together state highway offices across the United States, told the New York Times: “It’s a big concern if it plays in view of the driver, for sure.”

That concern comes on top of unease about Tesla’s Autopilot system which, when engaged, is able to steer, accelerate and apply braking without input from the driver – who is supposed to keep his or her hands on the wheel, although the function can operate even if they don’t – as well as criticism of the ability of in-car cameras to ensure that motorists are keeping their eyes on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that there have been at least 12 deaths since 2016 as a result of Tesla cars being in Autopilot mode, and Adkins said that the ability of video games to be played at the wheel “is crying out for NHTSA to provide some guidance and regulation.”

NHTSA chair Jennifer Homendy said: “It’s incredibly frustrating. We’re trying to warn the public and tell Tesla, ‘Hey, you need to put some safeguards in.’ But they haven’t.”

Tesla is not the only car manufacturer developing autonomous vehicles, but as the company that is at the forefront of the technology it attracts particular scrutiny and crashes involving its vehicles are widely reported on – indeed, we have covered several here on road.cc.

In 2016, a Florida man was killed when his Tesla, in Autopilot mode, crashed through a truck trailer at a junction.

> Truck driver says man killed in Tesla Autopilot crash was watching Harry Potter

The driver of the truck, who rushed to give assistance, said that a Harry Potter film “was still playing [in the vehicle] when he died and snapped a telephone pole a quarter mile down the road.”

He said that he heard the film, but did not see it, while the Florida highway patrol said only that there was a portable DVD player in the vehicle.

In May 2017, a robotics expert from Stanford University in Tesla’s home state of California warned that Autopilot should not be used in the vicinity of cyclists.

> Never use Tesla Autopilot feature around cyclists, warns robotics expert

Warning that lives would be put at risk, post-doctoral researcher Heather Knight wrote that she “found the Autopilot’s agnostic behaviour around bicyclists to be frightening.”

In a review posted to Medium, she said: “I’d estimate that Autopilot classified ~30 per cent of other cars, and 1 per cent of bicyclists.

“Not being able to classify objects doesn’t mean the Tesla doesn’t see that something is there, but given the lives at stake, we recommend that people NEVER USE TESLA AUTOPILOT AROUND BICYCLISTS!”

She concluded her review by saying: “Do not treat this system as a prime time autonomous car. If you forget that … bikers will die.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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17 comments

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Biggie Smells | 3 years ago
0 likes

Hang on..if you could get it to run Zwift, you could be on the turbo in the back of the car racking up virtual miles AND set your GPS unit to record while the vehicle drives you around real world roads at a set speed so the flaggers don't getcha! You'll be able to stay dry if it's raining outside, and if it gets too sweaty inside, just whap on the air conditioning! Joy for cycling fans everywhere! 

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PRSboy | 3 years ago
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It would be good if the likes of Euro NCAP and the American equivalent looked at things like this and scored cars badly as a result. 

Its all very well legislating to protect pedestrians and occupants through safety design, but if drivers can't do simple things like turn on the rear heated screen or change music selection without distraction from the road then it renders it rather pointless.

Access to social media or visible text messaging whilst driving should mean a one star rating.

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Fursty Ferret replied to PRSboy | 3 years ago
0 likes

Don't get it. I just looked at a picture of a Tesla screen and the defroster controls are literally right there on the bottom row of controls.

The whole point of the big screen is for when the driver is parked up and charging, and all it has on it when the car is moving is a map.

You may as well insist that everyone's phone is disabled when they're in a moving vehicle, passenger or not.

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brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

Quote:

... a whopping 17-inch display ...

In a car???  Why on earth would you need a screen as big as that in your car???

EDIT: Obviously, for entertainment/distraction purposes.

EDIT: Would having that in your car and switched on count against you, if you were in a collision...?

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
2 likes

Only older folk can afford a Tesla and oldies need a big screen to be able to read !

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Fursty Ferret replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

"Having it switched on". It's not a bloody television.

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brooksby replied to Fursty Ferret | 3 years ago
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"Having it switched on" - by which I meant having a game running or a TV show playing (ooo - just like a bloody television! ;-))

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Jem PT | 3 years ago
0 likes

Sadly this is nothing new. 15 years ago my Mercedes E-class company car had a DVD player in the integrated nav system in the centre console. It couldn't play DVDs when the car was moving but there were hacks online that could enable it. Needless to say it was distracting for the driver! 

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mdavidford | 3 years ago
1 like

Quote:

Owners of Tesla cars can now play video games while driving their vehicles

No, they can't. They can try, but that's not the same thing.

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eburtthebike | 3 years ago
3 likes

Great to know that Elon has safety at heart, and isn't deliberately putting other people at risk.  I would imagine the costs when one of his Tesla drivers mows down a cyclist/pedestrian/driver is going to make even his eyes water, and he might have to postpone playing in space for a bit.

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ejocs | 3 years ago
2 likes

What's the difference? Motorists act like they're playing a video game with no real life consequences anyway. At least this is more honest, somehow.

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adamrice | 3 years ago
7 likes

No, you all misunderstand. This improves safety, because now the driver won't need to hold their smartphone in one hand in order to play solitaire while driving.

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CXR94Di2 | 3 years ago
0 likes

It looks fake, no hands on steering wheel. The car icon indicates the car is still in front of the wheel.

I need to check my latest updates on my Model S, which I havent yet updated.

It never allowed watching netflix or YouTube unless parked

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Oldfatgit | 3 years ago
1 like

Is it not illegal in the UK for the driver to be able to see such screen content while the vehicle is in motion?

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Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
0 likes

Maybe playing games on screens visible only from the back seat, but anything that has potential to distract the driver cannot have a good outcome. Could put Tesla on collision course with a lawsuit involving corporate manslaughter. Especially in the litigious USA.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
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I'm pretty sure one of the top of the range, erm Range Rover used to have a centre dashboard screen with a filter that from the drivers side showed satnav info etc but from the passenger seat, showed the TV / Film. Might have been a third party custom one though but was on Top Gear before Producer Punching stunts occurred.

If it was like that then it could be allowed, but being as they have the wholly inadequate arse-covering disclaimer, then it sound like the driver can still see everything. Also seem weird as apparently with Tesla vehicles, actually doing basic stuff like turning on lights or wipers needs to use the centre console. 

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brooksby | 3 years ago
3 likes

"Could it put cyclists in even more danger?" - I'd suggest it puts everyone in more danger...

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