In August, Vince Patton was watching a YouTube video about the owner of a Tesla which made an alarming observation: the drivers of those cars could now play video games on the vehicle’s touch screen while on the move.
Out of curiosity to see for himself, Patton drove his own 2021 Model 3 into the empty parking lot of a community college, activated a game called “Sky Force Reloaded” from the menu, and performed several spins.
“I was just astonished that, yes, this sophisticated video game did indeed come out,” said Patton, a 59-year-old retired television journalist who lives near Portland, Oregon.
He also tested it with the Solitaire card game and was able to activate the game while driving. Later, he realized that he could surf the internet with his car in motion.
Patton, who loves his car and says he has nothing against Tesla, worries that drivers play video games and pose greater danger.
“Someone could die,” he stressed. “It’s crazy.”
That is why at the beginning of last month, Patton decided to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government agency.
“NHTSA must prohibit the use of all real-time video while in the front seat and all interactive online navigation when the car is in motion,” Patton wrote in his complaint. “Creating a dangerous distraction for the driver is recklessly negligent.”
On Wednesday, NHTSA confirmed that it is looking into the matter. News of Patton’s complaint was first reported Tuesday by The New York Times.
“We are aware of the driving concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer,” a NHTSA spokeswoman revealed in an email. “The Vehicle Safety Law prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design flaws that pose irrational safety risks.”
The spokeswoman declined to provide further details on the talks between NHTSA and Tesla. The agency has not opened a formal investigation, which would involve the request for documents and other detailed information. Tesla, which has dissolved its media relations department, did not respond to messages from The Associated Press.
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