Tesla drivers will be able to control speed limit and introduce night-time curfews when teenagers borrow cars
- Are YOU a Tesla driver who wants parental controls? Email: cameron.charters@mailonsunday.co.uk
Elon Musk is trialling new safety features on his Telsa cars including parental controls which limit speed and introduce a 'curfew mode'.
The businessman is deciding whether mothers and fathers who own a Tesla should be able to control the speed their children drive at and when.
A trial update has included restrictions on the acceleration and speed and will make sure the features cannot be turned off.
Another feature also being tested is a notification which will tell parents if their Tesla is being driven by their children after dark.
The measures are being considered because Tesla's can accelerate much faster than other makes of vehicle.
Elon Musk is testing parental controls on his Teslas limiting speed and introducing a curfew
The controls will be ran by a pin device given to parents to prevent children turning them off
In 2018, an 18-year-old teenager was killed when driving a Tesla at 116mph in a 30mph zone in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Barrett Riley drove to a dedicated Tesla garage and asked mechanics to take off a speed limiting device which his father had installed.
Tesla has since manufactured its own speed limiting gadget which it named in memory of Mr Riley- having been sued by his father for compensation.
The new safety features will prevent teenage drivers changing the restrictions placed on the cars by the parents.
In what is called a 'chill mode' the maximum acceleration of the car will be reduced, and a pin code feature will ensure warnings about speed, emergency braking and collisions cannot be switched off.
Teslas can accelerate faster than other cars and are popular amongst younger drivers
While the 'curfew mode' will give parents the option of preventing the car being driven during certain hours.
Since 2021 Tesla drivers have been calling for features similar to those being suggested now.
One driver, who is part of an online forum for Tesla owners, suggested a 'teen mode'.
He wrote of the Tesla Motors Club forum: 'I am a first-time owner. When I get this car my 18-year-old and 16-year-old are going to beg to drive it.
'At some point I will probably let them.'
Since 2021 Tesla drivers have been calling for features similar to those being suggested now.
Tesla does have a 'valet mode' currently which limits speed and disables self-driving.
The pressure for new safety features comes as statistics show 21% of all fatal or serious injuries caused in car crashes in 2022 involved 17-24-year-olds.
Speaking to The Times, Steve Cole, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RSPA) said: 'We are in favour of safeguarding our young drivers and believe that technology holds huge potential to help us do that.
'However, safety should not be limited to users of any specific vehicle type. For young drivers in particular RSPA would like to see the introduction of graduated driver licensing — a progressive licensing system to support young drivers by limiting high-risk driving situations, a measure proven to reduce fatalities by up to 40 per cent.'
If successful, the measures as part of the '2024.26' software update will be introduced more generally.
