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[jshackles]

A New Tesla Safety Concern: Drivers Can Play Video Games in Moving Cars (Published 2021)

The feature raises fresh questions about whether Tesla is compromising safety as it rushes to add new technologies.

www.nytimes.com

Until this summer, video games in Tesla’s software package — there were more than a dozen — could be played only while a car was in park. That changed when the 2021.12.25.6 update was beamed to Tesla vehicles. It added solitaire; a jet fighter game, Sky Force Reloaded; and The Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise, a conquest strategy game.

Anyone else playing Cyberpunk 2077 on long road trips?

 

[ethomaz]

You are not the driver so what the issue?

 

[Skifi28]

I always imagine a game crashing causing the car OS to crash causing the car to crash. Fun for the whole family!

 

[mckmas8808]

Why does the article state that Tesla is "rushing" to add new updates?

 

[Spukc]

I always imagine a game crashing causing the car OS to crash causing the car to crash. Fun for the whole family!

Nah won’t happen sub systems

is this update out?

 

[jshackles]

You are not the driver so what the issue?

Used to be that games would only play on the screen if the car was in park. Now (some) games can be played while the car is moving. Meaning the driver could put the car on autopilot and start playing a video game.

 

[Pejo]

I want to play a VR driving game while I'm in my car driving.

 

[jshackles]

I want to play a VR driving game while I'm in my car driving.

 

[mckmas8808]

So will the Hulu and Disney+ app work while driving next? That's "MY" next question.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Great. Just what we need added to the current "not paying attention to your surroundings" culture.

 

[Skifi28]

I want to play a VR driving game while I'm in my car driving.

 

[Mr Moose]

I always imagine a game crashing causing the car OS to crash causing the car to crash. Fun for the whole family!

 

[purpletentacle]

its almost as if Tesla is run by a lunatic.

 

[ethomaz]

Used to be that games would only play on the screen if the car was in park. Now (some) games can be played while the car is moving. Meaning the driver could put the car on autopilot and start playing a video game.

That is what I get.
If you are not the driver why can't you not play games?

I see no security concern here.

I should watch a movie or use my cellpone because I'm not driving at all.
Or better take a nap... long travels are very boring so a nap fix all issues.

 

[Fbh]

Yeah this isn't good.
I get that phones already exist so the assholes that wanted to play games while driving could already do so, but at the same time anything that makes it even easier to not pay attention while driving isn't great.

 

[ethomaz]

Yeah this isn't good.
I get that phones already exist so the assholes that wanted to play games while driving could already do so, but at the same time anything that makes it even easier to not pay attention while driving isn't great.

You are not driving....

 

[azertydu91]

You are not driving....

It depends on the country and the tyes of roads I believe.They are not fully autonomous yet.

 

[EverydayBeast]

 

[ethomaz]

I believe I got the issue now.

The play game feature is enabled even when you are manually driving lol
That is crazy.

I guessed it was when you are in auto drive mode that I will just take a nap or use the cellphone.

 

[GymWolf]

Oh good, more people to avoid when i drive my scooter

 

[digital_ghost]

Its like burnout but with more realistic graphics than even a RTX 3090 can provide.

Ahh real life cant be beat.

 

[Fbh]

You are not driving....

How does the car know the person playing the game isn't driving? Hell even if you aren't the one playing, it can still be unnecessarily distracting to have someone playing on the big screen right next to you.
That used to be the point, they only worked while parked to ensure people couldn't play games while driving.

If you are talking about self driving, as far as I know the system still isn't fully autonomous. The person in the driver's seat is supposed to be alert and paying attention to the road, not playing games.

 

[jshackles]

I believe that with this update, it would be technically illegal to operate a Tesla vehicle at all in my state.

Maybe it was just a bug / glitch?

 

[IntentionalPun]

In the US any production car w/ a DVD player in the front won't even play if the car is moving, despite the fact a passenger might be watching.

But one trip to a car stereo shop and they can fix that for you lol

Tesla are renegades.

 

[ethomaz]

How does the car know the person playing the game isn't driving? Hell even if you aren't the one playing, it can still be unnecessarily distracting to have someone playing on the big screen right next to you.
That used to be the point, they only worked while parked to ensure people couldn't play games while driving.

If you are talking about self driving, as far as I know the system still isn't fully autonomous. The person in the driver's seat is supposed to be alert and paying attention to the road, not playing games.

You don't need a person in the driving seat all... you can even use dolls.

But yeap I misunderstood the situation... it is enabled with the manual drive mode... that is indeed crazy.

 

[Fuz]

Used to be that games would only play on the screen if the car was in park. Now (some) games can be played while the car is moving. Meaning the driver could put the car on autopilot and start playing a video game.

Basically... small buses shaped like cars.
Just take a bus ffs.

 

[mckmas8808]

In the US any production car w/ a DVD player in the front won't even play if the car is moving, despite the fact a passenger might be watching.

But one trip to a car stereo shop and they can fix that for you lol

Tesla are renegades.

I still wonder how GPS devices built into cars made it, but DVD players didn't. On it's face, I get it but they can both be distracting.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I still wonder how GPS devices built into cars made it, but DVD players didn't. On it's face, I get it but they can both be distracting.

Yeah I think you take the good with the bad because theoretically a GPS can lower distractions in some ways.

 

[jshackles]

To the surprise of literally nobody:

U.S. opens investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over game feature

U.S auto safety regulators said Wednesday they have opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 over the automaker's decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen.

www.reuters.com

 

[mckmas8808]

To the surprise of literally nobody:

U.S. opens investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over game feature

U.S auto safety regulators said Wednesday they have opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 over the automaker's decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen.

www.reuters.com

Interesting to read that this all started from an actual Tesla car owner.

 

[ReBurn]

You can play video games while driving any car. There's people out there playing candy crush behind the wheel every day.

 

[Kilau]

You can play video games while driving any car. There's people out there playing candy crush behind the wheel every day.

So true. Ever watch the cars driving by when stopped at a red light? Well over half the drivers are looking at their phones.

 

[ReBurn]

So true. Ever watch the cars driving by when stopped at a red light? Well over half the drivers are looking at their phones.

Or driving down the freeway. Every other car has someone holding a phone. I saw someone with a tablet pressed to the steering wheel at 65 mph the other day.

 

[Great Hair]

You are not the driver so what the issue?

distraction

How about we drive the car, without a 14" screen bombarding the "cockpit" with flashy effects.

 

[mckmas8808]

distraction

How about we drive the car, without a 14" screen bombarding the "cockpit" with flashy effects.

Or how about we allow technology to get more awesome without people wanting to hold back human advances.

 

[SportsFan581]

its almost as if Tesla is run by a lunatic.

I jest.

Seriously, I respect the dudes intelligence and bold ideas even if his personality puts me off. Not sure I think gaming while driving is one of his better ideas.

A few bad accidents and this "feature" will get patched out I'm sure.

 

[mckmas8808]

I jest.

Seriously, I respect the dudes intelligence and bold ideas even if his personality puts me off. Not sure I think gaming while driving is one of his better ideas.

A few bad accidents and this "feature" will get patched out I'm sure.

It's shocking to me that it hasn't happened yet. It's almost as if most Tesla owners don't know you can do this.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

Nah won’t happen sub systems

Yeah sure jan.gif

Airplanes are not supposed crash neither. But some did because of humans errors in totally unrelated systems.
"It can't happen"... until it happens then everybody is "sorry".

Humans are so pretentious and clueless with safety: "It just works".

 

[Miles708]

So true. Ever watch the cars driving by when stopped at a red light? Well over half the drivers are looking at their phones.

I, for one, can't wait to be able to use my PSVR on Tetris Effect while driving.

I mean, who needs standards.

 

[ReBurn]

I, for one, can't wait to be able to use my PSVR on Tetris Effect while driving.

I mean, who needs standards.

You really should use Oculus Quest while driving. Wireless VR is so much safer.

 

[jshackles]

You can play video games while driving any car. There's people out there playing candy crush behind the wheel every day.

The major difference here is that you aren't required to use your phone to operate the car. Everything in a Tesla goes through the touch screen interface (putting the car into gear, viewing the backup camera, checking the status of seat belts or airbags, GPS navigation, etc.

It's very easy for law enforcement to know if someone isn't paying attention to the road because they're fucking around on their phone. In most states, it's illegal to even be holding a cell phone while driving. It's a different story entirely if you have to pull someone over for playing The Witcher 3 while driving when they can use the "no I was just using the screen here to make sure I had enough fuel" excuse.

 

[Edgelord79]

Bad decision. Bad look. Doesn't matter if the car is in self-drive or not. Still need to be paying attention.

 

[BlackM1st]

Finally, the Carmageddon sequel is here

 

[ReBurn]

The major difference here is that you aren't required to use your phone to operate the car. Everything in a Tesla goes through the touch screen interface (putting the car into gear, viewing the backup camera, checking the status of seat belts or airbags, GPS navigation, etc.

It's very easy for law enforcement to know if someone isn't paying attention to the road because they're fucking around on their phone. In most states, it's illegal to even be holding a cell phone while driving. It's a different story entirely if you have to pull someone over for playing The Witcher 3 while driving when they can use the "no I was just using the screen here to make sure I had enough fuel" excuse.

You aren't required to play video games to operate the car, either. I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying that nothing else in the car works when video games are on the screen?

 

[jshackles]

You aren't required to play video games to operate the car, either. I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying that nothing else in the car works when video games are on the screen?

I'm saying the same screen that you can play video games on is also the one you use to engage your headlights. Or put the car into reverse.

From an enforcement standpoint, that's a pretty big deal. You can (and most states have) made it illegal to use a personal device while driving. They can't make it illegal to use the screen in a Tesla without outright banning them from being on the road.

 

[Kerotan]

I always imagine a game crashing causing the car OS to crash causing the car to crash. Fun for the whole family!

MOM SLOW DOWN THE CAR YOU'RE MAKING ME LAG. MOOOOOOOOOM...

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Wait until they find out I can put a Nintendo Switch on the dashboard of my shitty 15 year old hatchback and play it while I drive.

 

[BacklashWave534]

its almost as if Tesla is run by a lunatic.

I would say evil genius. Lunatic would imply he doesn't know what he's doing.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Bad decision. Bad look. Doesn't matter if the car is in self-drive or not. Still need to be paying attention.

Because you can't just stick your IPAD on a holder and play a game. You need the government to tell you step by step how to live your life then good for you. How about, get this...... Personal Responsibility.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Nah won’t happen sub systems

is this update out?

People don't seem to understand that the drive system is separate from the computer.