Video Games on Tesla Screens? Not So Fast, Say Safety Regulators

"The federal government’s main auto safety regulator said on Wednesday that it had opened an investigation into a feature in Teslas that allows drivers to play games on a dashboard touch screen while the car is in motion," reports Neal E. Boudette for The New York Times.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened the investigation into the Passenger Play video feature available for most Tesla cars.

The news about the pending investigation is the latest in string of criticisms about safety practices at Tesla. The Los Angeles Editorial Board earlier this week called out the company for pushing ahead with self-driving technology outside of the regulatory structure of the federal government. The NHTSA had already opened an investigation into the company's autopilot feature in August.

The NHTSA's investigation into the Passenger Play video feature "suggests that it is taking a more aggressive stand after years of doing little to look into what many safety experts characterize as glaring flaws and gaps in Tesla’s approach," according to Boudette.

A separate article by Boudette for The New York Times published earlier this month reported on the potential of the Passenger Play video feature to distract drivers.