Tesla drivers will be able to control speed limit and introduce night-time curfews when teenagers borrow cars

Elon Musk is testing new safety features in his Tesla cars, including parental controls that limit speed and introduce a “curfew mode.”

The businessman wonders whether mothers and fathers who own a Tesla should be able to decide for themselves how fast and when their children drive.

A trial update includes limitations on acceleration and speed and prevents the features from being disabled.

Another feature that is also being tested is a notification that lets parents know if their Tesla is being driven by their children at night.

These measures are being considered because Teslas can accelerate much faster than other car brands.

Operation is via a PIN device given to parents to prevent children from turning them off.

In 2018, an 18-year-old teenager was killed while driving a Tesla at 116 mph in a 30 mph zone in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Barrett Riley drove to a special Tesla garage and asked mechanics to remove a speed limiter his father had installed.

Tesla has since developed its own speed limiter, which the company named after Mr. Riley, whose father had sued him for damages.

The new safety features mean that teens can no longer change the restrictions their parents place on their cars.

In the so-called ‘chill mode’, the car’s maximum acceleration is reduced and a PIN code function ensures that speed, emergency braking and collision warnings cannot be switched off.

Teslas can accelerate faster than other cars and are popular among younger drivers

The ‘curfew mode’ gives parents the option to prevent the car from being driven during certain hours.

Since 2021, Tesla drivers have been asking for features similar to those now being proposed.

An executive, who is part of an online forum for Tesla owners, suggested a “teen mode.”

He wrote on the Tesla Motors Club forum: ‘I am a first-time owner. If I get this car, my 18-year-old and 16-year-old daughters will beg to drive it.

“At some point I’ll probably let them do that.”

Since 2021, Tesla drivers have been asking for features similar to those now being proposed.

Tesla currently has a “valet mode” that limits speed and disables self-driving cars.

The demand for new safety features is increasing as statistics show that 21% of all fatal or serious injuries in car accidents in 2022 will involve 17 to 24 year olds.

Speaking to The TimesSteve Cole from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RSPA) said: ‘We are committed to protecting our young drivers and believe technology has huge potential to help us do this.

‘However, safety should not be limited to users of a specific vehicle type. For young drivers in particular, RSPA would like to see the introduction of graduated licensing — a progressive licensing system to support young drivers by reducing risky driving situations, a measure proven to reduce fatalities by up to 40 per cent.’

If successful, the measures will be introduced more generally as part of the software update ‘2024.26’.