The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal investigation into a report that certain Tesla vehicles allow people to play video games on the center touch screen while they are driving. A total of about 580,000 vehicles could be affected.
Tesla owner Vince Patton, who lives near Portland, Oregon, filed a complaint with NHTSA last month, after coming across a YouTube video posted by a fellow Tesla owner. The fellow owner had discovered that he could play a video game on his touch screen, while his Tesla was moving.
The news report from Associated Press did not clarify whether Mr. Patton had watched the YouTube video while driving his own Tesla. But Mr. Patton reported that he was able to activate that game ‘Solitaire’ while driving in an empty community college parking lot. He also found he could browse the internet while his car was moving.
According to the AP story, Mr. Patton says he loves his car and has nothing against Tesla, but worries that drivers will play games and become dangerously distracted.
I do not own a Tesla, so I cannot personally verify Mr. Patton’s claims. I doubt I will ever own a Tesla, considering the meager salary I make, writing for the Daily Post.
Additionally, we do not have an empty community college parking lot in Pagosa Springs, because we don’t have a community college. But in the interests of journalistic integrity, I did drive my Ford Taurus around the Walmart parking lot at 2 o’clock in the morning, when it was nearly empty, while playing Solitaire on my cell phone. (I am a professional journalist; don’t try this at home.)
My conclusion from this experiment is that the safest way to play Solitaire, while driving, is to hold the phone directly above the steering wheel, but slightly to one side, so your field of vision can take in the traffic ahead as well as the phone’s screen. Unfortunately, this means playing the game ‘one-handed’ using your thumb. I was unable to successfully win at Solitaire using this technique. I was, however, able to avoid the lamp poles in the Walmart parking lot. (I’m normally able to win at Solitaire, except sometimes very late at night. Since this experiment took place at 2am, my failure to win could be blamed on the lateness of the hour.)
The Tesla touch screen is quite a bit larger than my phone, so I’m quite sure I could win at Solitaire while driving a Tesla. Not bragging, just stating a fact.
It would appear, however, that Mr. Patton may have poked a sleeping bear — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — and initiated a recall of 580,000 Teslas, to have their touch screens reprogrammed… thus making it even less likely that I will ever be able to test my gameplaying skills on a decent-sized screen, while driving one of these luxurious vehicles.
Rest assured, I would test my skills in a nearly empty parking lot, not on a highway.
Rest even more assured, that I am not recommending anyone play Solitaire while driving a car.
It’s much more sensible, and more rewarding, to play Solitaire when you are sitting at home, without the dangerous distractions caused by passing vehicles.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.