Georgia Injury Law Blog
Tesla is probably the best known for the various high-tech systems in its automobiles many of which can help a driver avoid being in an accident. However, one newly-introduced feature most likely has the opposite effect. A recent but little-known feature in Tesla vehicles allows occupants, including passengers, to play in-car video games in full view of the driver.
Motorists as well as passengers can play one of several popular video games while the car is in operation. The kind of distraction that this poses to the driver cannot be overstated. Tesla has been under scrutiny for the safety of its tech systems, including the auto drive systems that allow the car to be operated without the motorist placing his hands on the steering wheel, for several months now. Tesla is also under a federal investigation regarding accidents involving its cars that have resulted in several deaths. Since 2016, more than ten people have died in accidents that were caused when the Tesla cars crashed while in auto pilot mode. Unfortunately, Tesla has not been able to come up with a fool-proof system that will prompt the driver to keep his eyes on the road while the car is being operated automatically.
The risk of accidents involving these cars has been the subject of federal probes for serval months now, and the introduction of this new feature that allows occupants to play video games while driving the car has federal agencies even more concerned. Regulators at the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is currently leading the safety probe into Tesla models, have asked the automaker for more information about the video game features in its cars.
The video game software is part of a set of features that was added to Tesla cars over this summer. The design allows only passengers to play video games, but the system can be easily bypassed allowing even drivers to play games while driving the car. Even if motorists are not playing the games, they may be distracted when passengers play these games in full view of the driver. Concerns are growing that the automaker is introducing too much technology in its cars which may ultimately pose a risk to public safety.
As automated cars take over our roads, the risks associated with these need to be probed further. Distraction is a major killer on American roads and contributes to thousands of accidents every year, many of which end in deaths. Distractions from cell phones and other external devices are compounded by the increasing amount of in-car technology that is being introduced in American cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its guidelines for in-car tech, requires among other things, that these systems not be of the type that allows drivers to perform distracting tasks while at the wheel.
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to an Atlanta car accident lawyer at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers and determine your legal options to a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes your medical expenses, lost income and other forms of economic as well as non-economic compensation for your losses.