The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Tuesday that it is closing its investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles concerning the automaker’s initial decision to permit games on the front center touchscreen.
NHTSA’s probe, which began in December 2021, focused on Tesla’s “Passenger Play” feature. Shortly after the investigation was launched, Tesla agreed to disable the ability to play video games on the vehicle screens while the cars are in motion.
NHTSA stated that it is not calling for a recall but noted that its analysis of the data provided by Tesla raised significant concerns about driver distraction during the period when the feature was available.
In concluding the investigation without pursuing a recall, NHTSA clarified that this decision does not imply that no safety-related defect exists. The agency also noted that it reserves the right to take further action if necessary.
Tesla, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, informed NHTSA that there had been no reported consumer complaints or accidents related to the use of Passenger Play in the affected vehicles over the past year.
According to NHTSA, Tesla reported a 97% completion rate for the voluntary disabling of the Passenger Play feature through an over-the-air software update implemented a month after the feature was initially scrutinized.
The investigation encompassed Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 that were equipped with this feature.
NHTSA highlighted that the apparent use of Passenger Play while the vehicle was not in Park during about one-third of the instances in which the feature was used underscores the need for technology-based lockouts rather than relying solely on administrative controls like labels or disclaimer screens.
In 2014, NHTSA issued guidelines encouraging automakers to integrate safety and driver distraction prevention into the design and use of in-vehicle infotainment systems.
These guidelines recommended that in-vehicle devices be designed in a way that prevents drivers from engaging in inherently distracting secondary tasks while driving.
NHTSA is also conducting an ongoing investigation into 830,000 Tesla vehicles equipped with the Autopilot driver assistance system, focusing on incidents involving crashes with parked emergency vehicles.
The agency aims to better understand the human factors related to Tesla’s interfaces and the dynamic driving task in this separate inquiry.
