Drivers are capable of playing games on the giant screen on a Tesla car Model 3. (Photo: AFP)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its preliminary evaluation covers various 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles.

This functionality, referred to as “Passenger Play,” "may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash," the agency said.

It noted earlier in December that distracted driving accounts for a significant number of US road deaths – more than 3,000 in 2019 alone.

Safety advocates have said official figures underestimate the problem because not all drivers involved in crashes later admit they were distracted.