Tag Archives: self-driving cars

The government is investigating why Tesla drivers can play solitaire at the wheel

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is officially looking into the “driver distraction potential” of Tesla’s “Passenger Play” system, which drivers say allows them to play games while on the road. 

A spokesperson for NHTSA told Popular Science Wednesday it has now opened a “Preliminary Evaluation” to “evaluate the scenarios” in which Tesla drivers can interact with the gaming offerings available on the dashboard screen. The vehicles included in this investigation are Tesla Models 3, S, X, and Y from years 2017 through 2022. The Associated Press, which first reported on the NHTSA evaluation, says this equates to about 580,000 cars. 

According to a report from the New York Times on December 7, three new games were added to Tesla’s dashboard screens in a virtual update this summer, including solitaire, a “jet fighter game,” and a “conquest strategy game.” While more than a dozen games were previously available while the car was in park, this update also made games accessible when the vehicle was in drive. Before launching, the games ask for confirmation that the player is a passenger, not the driver, The Verge found, but the driver could still tap the confirmation button to proceed. 

The Times report cited Vince Patton, a Tesla owner who filed a complaint to NHTSA after discovering the feature and had safety concerns, as well as videos on YouTube that show how the system works. NHTSA confirmed to Popular Science that it received one owner complaint about the games. In the report from the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, there are no recorded incidents of crashes or injuries related to the game system’s use.

“NHTSA based its decision on reports that Tesla’s gameplay functionality is visible from the driver’s seat and can be enabled while driving the vehicle,” the NHTSA spokesperson said to Popular Science in an emailed statement about the agency’s choice to formally look into the issue. Previously, NHTSA told the Times it was “discussing the feature with the manufacturer.”

This probe comes less than two weeks after NHTSA told CNBC it was in communication with Tesla over an Autopilot glitch and as the agency continues to investigate multiple serious accidents involving Teslas hitting emergency vehicles while in Autopilot mode. The NHTSA spokesperson said that, as a reminder, there are no commercially available vehicles today that can totally drive themselves.

“Every available vehicle requires the human driver to be in control at all times, and all State laws hold the human driver responsible for the operation of their vehicles,” the spokesperson added. 

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A Third of New Vehicle Buyers Want a Self-Driving Car in Next 10 Years

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The ongoing will-they-or-won’t-they when it comes to consumer acceptance of autonomous vehicles keeps inching its way toward “they will” as consumers begin to come to terms with self-driving technology. 

Tesla’s Autopilot offers hands-free capabilities, but it’s at the center of an investigation by federal safety regulators after several crashes.

A new study by CarGurus.com shows 34% of new car shoppers expect to own an autonomous vehicle within the next decade. During the past two years, it’s become clear that consumers are more knowledgeable about autonomous vehicles, researchers found.

However, this gained insight doesn’t mean that more people are excited about the technology, just that they are becoming more at ease with the idea. When asked how comfortable they were with the advancement of self-driving technology, 37% were neutral and 33% expressed excitement. In 2019, 31% of consumers were neutral and 32% excited. 

According to the study, it appears respondents still want to maintain control of their vehicle with 53% preferring to remain the driver of a self-driving car. They are least comfortable (20%) sharing the roads with self-driving delivery trucks or fleets — one of the primary benefits of the technology, according to those developing the technology.

J.B. Hunt rig
J.B. Hunt is teaming with Waymo to develop self-driving vehicle technology. It’s this scenario that most concerned people in a recent study.

Neutrality equals buyers?

“This year’s Self-Driving Vehicle Sentiment Survey from CarGurus makes clear that autonomous vehicles’ tech offerings need to align with how people want to use them,” said Madison Gross, director of Customer Insights at CarGurus. 

“While there is hesitancy around self-driving technology, how consumers envision themselves using the technology would require full autonomy — which is still a goal that the industry is striving toward. Until then, shoppers are looking for driving technology that helps them stay in control, rather than technology that takes total control.”

The findings reveal the conflict potential buyers feel as 45% said they are excited by the leap forward in the technology, but 51% still harbored concerns about safety. Tesla — despite the continuing controversy and investigation by federal safety regulators surrounding Autopilot semi-autonomous technology — is the company respondents have the most faith in developing self-driving cars at 34 percent.

Ongoing testing by companies like Cruise appears to be increasing the comfort level of consumers with autonomous technology.

Tesla was followed by Apple (8%) and Toyota (7%). 

The ultimate trust fall

However, nearly two in 10 respondents do not trust any brand to do so, and with 56% wanting brands to bear the responsibility in the case of any accidents, there is a long way to go to earn consumers’ trust. Tesla is also the top AV brand that shoppers would consider with 54%, followed by Toyota (35%) and BMW (32%).

In spite of the trust issues, consumers are still optimistic about autonomous vehicles. More than half (56%) of respondents would use AVs to drive them home safely when unable to do so themselves and 42% would want their self-driving car to be able to park itself. 

However, consumers are more focused on helpful technology — where they still have some control. They expressed the most interest in advanced driver-assistance systems like back-up cameras (39%) and blind-spot monitoring (56%), features that many cars already have (42% and 17% of drivers respectively report already owning them).