Top ICU doctor hails Tesla's new 'parental controls' that allow owners to limit the speed of the car when their children are behind the wheel - and claims they could prevent the 'tragic deaths' he 'frequently sees'

By Jonathan Chadwick For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Parental controls are usually reserved for streaming services or internet browsers – but Tesla is putting them in its electric cars.

Elon Musk's firm is trialling 'Parental Controls' that lets parents restrict acceleration and set a speed limit when their child is behind the wheel. 

Now, experts are hailing the tool as they think it will make it harder for kids of Tesla owners to engage in reckless driving and ultimately limit traffic accidents. 

Dr Chris Hingston, an ICU doctor at the University Hospital of Wales, said he hopes other electric vehicle makers 'follow suit soon'. 

'Great to see Tesla testing parental controls on cars, limiting performance,' Dr Hingston posted to X (Twitter). 'Has the potential to make a huge difference to road safety and some of the tragic deaths I frequently see.'

feature called 'parental controls' is being trialled in car software that let parents restrict acceleration and set a speed limit when their child is behind the wheel (file photo)

feature called 'parental controls' is being trialled in car software that let parents restrict acceleration and set a speed limit when their child is behind the wheel (file photo)

Dr Chris Hingston, an ICU doctor at the University Hospital of Wales, said it is 'great to see' Tesla testing parental controls on its cars

Dr Chris Hingston, an ICU doctor at the University Hospital of Wales, said it is 'great to see' Tesla testing parental controls on its cars

Parental Controls is available in a software update, version 2024.26, which was released to employees earlier this month, claims Tesla tracking site Tessie. 

As part of the feature, parents will also get an alert on their smartphone if the car is being driven by their child after a certain time. 

Parents can turn on Tesla's Parental Controls with a PIN on their vehicle or on the Tesla mobile app, Tessie says. 

'Drivers can't disable the controls or change the settings without re-entering the PIN,' it explained. 

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, described the move by Tesla as 'sensible'.  

'Using the technology already built into the car to enforce the wise counsel of parents who are probably footing the bills makes a lot of sense for newly qualified young drivers,' he told MailOnline. 

As part of the feature, parents will also get an alert on their smartphone if the car is being driven by their child after a certain time. Pictured, a Tesla Model S 2022

As part of the feature, parents will also get an alert on their smartphone if the car is being driven by their child after a certain time. Pictured, a Tesla Model S 2022

Elon Musk is trialling new safety features on his Telsa cars including parental controls which limit speed and introduce a 'curfew mode'

Elon Musk is trialling new safety features on his Telsa cars including parental controls which limit speed and introduce a 'curfew mode'

Gooding added: 'Fully automated vehicles might one day take human error out of the road safety equation.

'But until that happens there is much a modern car can do to help drivers through features such as lane assist, emergency braking and intelligent speed advisory systems.' 

Steve Cole at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said young people continue to be among the most high-risk drivers. 

'We are in favour of safeguarding our young drivers and believe that technology holds huge potential to help us do that,' he told the Times. 

'Statistics show that the KSI [killed or seriously injured] rate for under-25s is 64 per cent higher than for over-25s, with one in five drivers having a collision in the first year after their test.'  

Tesla's feature may have been prompted by a high profile Tesla accident in Florida that tragically killed two teenagers in May 2018. 

The wrecked Tesla is pictured. Its battery burned ferociously after the 116mph smash in a 30mph zone

The wrecked Tesla is pictured. Its battery burned ferociously after the 116mph smash in a 30mph zone  

Barrett Riley and his friend Edgar Monserrat Martinez, both 18, died in a speeding Tesla 2014 Model S May 2018 when it crashed near Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that Barrett was driving at 116mph in a 30mph zone, and the most likely cause of the crash 'was the driver´s loss of control as a result of excessive speed'. 

Barrett had got Tesla employees to disable a speed limiter feature that his father had installed to prevent his son from driving at more than 85mph.

Tesla was just one per cent responsible for the crash, meaning it had to pay $100,000 compensation to his family. 

HISTORY OF FIRST RESPONDER CRASHES CAUSED BY TESLA AUTOPILOT

January 22, 2018 in Culver City: A Tesla Model S hit the back of a fire truck parked at an accident in Culver City around 8:30 am on Interstate 405 using the cars Autopilot system. The Tesla, which was going 65mph, suffered 'significant damage' and the firetruck was taken out of service for body work.

May 30, 2018 in Laguna Beach: Authorities said a Tesla sedan in Autopilot mode crashed into a parked police cruiser in Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jim Cota says the officer was not in the cruiser during the crash. He said the Tesla driver suffered minor injuries.

The police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a sidewalk.

December 7, 2019 in Norwalk, CT: A 2018 Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut using the Autopilot driver assistance system rear-ended a parked police car. 

December 29, 2019 in Cloverdale, IN: A 2019 Tesla on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana hit the back of a parked firetruck. 

The Tesla driver, Derrick Monet, and his wife, Jenna Monet, both suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital for immediate medical care. Jenna ultimately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at Terre Haute Regional Hospital.

June 30, 2020 in West Bridgewater, MA: A Weston, Massachusetts man driving a Tesla hit a Massachusetts State Police cruiser that was stopped in the left lane of Route 24 in West Bridgewater. A trooper who was on the scene reported that the driver, Nicholas Ciarlone, faced a negligent driving charge and was arraigned in September 2020.

July 15, 2020 in Conchise County, AZ: A Tesla Model S hit an Arizona Department of Public Safety patrol car, resulting in the patrol car rear-ending an ambulance that was on the scene of an earlier car accident. No one was seriously injured, but the Tesla driver was taken to the hospital for injuries.

August 26, 2020 in Charlotte, NC: A Tesla driver watching a movie crashed into a Nash County Sherriff's Office deputy vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina on US 64 west.

The driver, Devainder Goli, of Raleigh, was accused of violating the move-over law and watching television while operating a vehicle. 

February 27, 2021 in Montgomery County, TX: The driver of a Tesla rear-ended a police cruise during a traffic stop in Montgomery County, Texas. Five deputy constables were injured during the accident, which happened around 1:15 am on Eastex Freeway near East River Road. 

The Tesla driver was not injured, but was taken into custody on a DWI charge. 

March 17, 2021 in Lansing, MI: A Tesla on autopilot crashed into a Michigan State Police car. Troopers from the Lansing Post had been investigating a crash involving a car and a deer on I-96 near Waverly Rd in Eaton County at around 1:12am.

While investigating the crash, a Tesla driving on autopilot struck the patrol car, which had its emergency lights on.

Neither the driver of the Tesla - a 22-year-old man from Lansing - nor the troopers were injured at the scene. Police issued the unidentified man a citation for failure to move over and driving while license suspended.  

May 15, 2021 in Arlington, WA: A Tesla driving in Arlington, Washington hit a police vehicle that resulted in 'significant damage' to the police car.

There were no injuries reported from the incident. 

May 19, 2021 in Miami, Florida: Three people were hospitalized after a Tesla hit a parked Miami-Dade County Department Transportation Road Ranger truck that was blocking the left lane of I-95 to help clear the debris of an earlier crash.

The driver of the Tesla was transported to a nearby hospital with with severe, albeit non-life-threatening, injuries.

July 10 2021 in San Diego: A woman drove her Tesla onto a stretch of Highway 56 that had been closed to investigate an earlier fatal accident. That saw her Tesla smash into a parked, unoccupied highway cruiser.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI, and her passenger was injured.

August 28, 2021 in Orlando:   A Tesla Model 3 struck a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser that had pulled over to help a broken-down car. The 27 year-old driver and his passenger both suffered minor injuries. The trooper did not get hurt. 

 

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