Tesla Cleared by NHTSA in Passenger Play Investigation

Tesla was cleared by NHTSA for its “Passenger Play.” The US regulator closed an investigation against the company for allowing passengers to play on the center console while its vehicles were moving.

The NHTSA opened an investigation against Tesla in 2021

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation against Tesla in late 2021. The regulator did so after discovering that passengers could play video games on the center screen even while the car was moving. The investigation covered more than 580,000 Tesla vehicles that have been produced since 2017.

Tesla immediately responded to the NHTSA investigation

Tesla disabled the “Passenger Play” feature via an over-the-air (OTA) software update, right after the issue was discussed with officials. However, the NHTSA continued to investigate. At the time, the regulator confirmed that the Vehicle Safety Act prohibited companies from selling vehicles that posed a significant safety risk. Distracted driving is also considered dangerous, which is why an investigation was launched. Within the first month of the software update, Tesla reported that 97% of vehicles were NHTSA compliant.

NHTSA closes investigation against Tesla

NHTSA said in its latest update that there are no defects related to the safety of Tesla vehicles. This means there is no longer doubts about their safety. The agency said it could still take further action if warranted, such as finding a future safety-related defect.