Tesla agrees to stop letting drivers play video games

Tesla has agreed to modify a feature that lets drivers play video games on the front-center touch screen while the car is in motion, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokesperson said Thursday.

Driving the news: The change came just a day NHTSA opened a probe into some Tesla models over the feature, known as Passenger Play, on the grounds that it "may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash."

• The agency was set to investigate Tesla Model 3, S, X and Y cars from 2017 through 2022 that are equipped with the function — an estimated 580,000 vehicles.

What they're saying: "Following the opening of a preliminary evaluation of Tesla’s 'Passenger Play,' Tesla informed the agency that it is changing the functionality of this feature," the highway regulator said in a statement.

• The gameplay feature "will now be locked and unusable when the vehicle is in motion," per the statement.
• "The Agency maintains regular discussions with all manufacturers to discuss potential safety concerns of these systems, including Tesla’s response to our concerns about this feature."

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.