The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Wednesday that it will investigate Tesla over a gaming feature available in its cars for drivers to avail themselves of it, on a touch screen that warrants, while driving.

The video game feature was included in an update to Tesla's software. The agency issued its statement after The New York Times reported that auto experts were concerned that the games could pose a safety hazard by distracting drivers.

The function called "Passenger Play" is available on models 3, S, X and Y produced since 2017.

Tesla has offered video games on its touch screens, which dominate the dashboards of its cars and are used to control many aspects of the vehicles, for several years. But the original set of games could only be played while the car was parked. A recent update added the card game "solitaire" and two other games that can be played by a driver or a passenger in full view of the driver, raising questions about safety and the potential to distract drivers from the road.

"We are aware of drivers' concerns and are discussing the functionality with the manufacturer," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Some safety experts have criticized Tesla's Autopilot system, which can steer, slow, and accelerate a car on its own and has few safeguards to ensure that drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. At least 12 traffic deaths have occurred since 2016 involving Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot mode, where hands-free driving and drivers' inattention were cited as likely causes, according to safety agency data.

"Distraction collisions are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with a range of convenience technologies, such as entertainment screens," he considered.

Tesla seemed to be aware that the new games can be played while the car is in motion. A warning appears on the screen before the game starts that says, "Solitaire is for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is for passengers only." The system asks for confirmation that the person seeking to play the game is a passenger, but nothing prevents drivers from clicking the button and starting a game.