When screens first appeared in car dashboards, it was like the future had arrived. Car stereos with GPS looked like pure science fiction. Consumers were dazzled, and auto manufacturers capitalized by charging a premium for the feature. Fast forward to today and manufacturers have found its cheaper to replace buttons, and switches with a touchscreen in place gearshift levers, HVAC controls, power windows and locks, and even gauges like odometers. Nearly every vehicular control except steering, gas and brakes.
Now, safety experts are raising alarm bells about the distraction touchscreens create.
The three ways for drivers to activate vehicle systems include traditional controls like knobs and buttons, voice activated systems, or touchscreens. Using any of these can distract from the task of driving; but visual distractions, manual distractions, and cognitive distractions all have very different impact on drivers
– Tactile controls such as knobs, buttons, and switches allow adjustments without taking the driver taking their eyes off the road. In many cases, control is simple muscle memory and doesn’t create a cognitive distraction at all.
– Touchscreens distract drivers more than any other vehicle control system. They create a visual distraction by requiring the driver to look away from the road, then a cognitive distraction when navigating menus, and a physical distraction of tapping the screen while in motion.
– Voice activated systems are advertised as a safer option since there’s no physical distraction when taking one’s hands off the wheel to push a button. Yet voice activated systems create a cognitive distraction that impairs driving ability, and slows reaction times to road hazards.
One cannot ignore the economics of the automobile manufacturing industry when mandating control systems. As long as digital screens are cheaper than analog gauges with Swiss watch like operation, car companies will continue to install them. But there are some instances where government regulations require critical systems to adhere to standards. For example, the ubiquitous operation of the traditional PRNDL gear selector can help avoid an accident, or even save a life.
Independent organization in Europe that test and rate the safety of new cars will only provide their highest safety ratings or ‘gold seal’ to vehicles equipped with physical controls for critical functions. There’s no ban on digital dashboards, but certainly a fact-based analysis for the sake of safety. Manufacturers pushing the cheapest and most distracting dashboards in their vehicles (looking at you, Tesla) will find themselves on Consumer Reports ‘cars to avoid’ list. And considering the consumer pushback against cheap and tacky touchscreen dashboards, manufacturers may be forced to change design or risk losing sales.
Sometimes i miss the knobs! If my fingers are cold or greasey or is it the screen that’s cold ‘n greasey, but i have to tap tap tap away to make it do what i want 🤯
Think about all those poor little Yankees today experiencing snow for the first time, unable to turn on their heat or wipers with gloves on because Tesla.
I think screens are fine for a car radio, but not for controls, because many of us wear gloves when driving.
Yes exactly!
I bet that in minus 20(like today) those screens are also super slow.
Imagine having to access a menu and a sub-menu just to turn your high beams off
There’s been a couple of times in the -30 weather where the screen has gone black like nuh-uh just too cold, not cooperating 🥶
No… that’s SO bad! I guess no lights or heater or gear shifting a Tesla if you live north of the 49th parallel
There actually is one up here!
The town fool.
Lol 😂
I hate hate hate on-screen controls. It’s beyond stupid the level of ‘utilization’ car makers have implemented with them.
Hate to say I agree. Many folks my age probably hate to say it too because it seems like ‘old man’ complaints.
But screens are distracting and complicated. Why add difficulty to driving!
I have some kn-screen controls on my GMC but there’s also a redundant knob or button. That’s a good compromise.
The Jeep has some physical redundancy, certainly more that other cars I looked at, but not enough…
I remember sitting jn a Wrangler at the autoshow last year. It occurred to me that big chunky buttons goes with the style of the Jeep, the purpose of the Jeep.
Im surprised that any functions are via touchscreen only.
Can you tell me which ones?
Off the top of my head, switching audio sources, switching to navigation mode, cycling through settings. I can adjust the volume with a knob, but not speaker balance or base, for example. Most of the functions *do* have an analog alternative, way more than other new cars, which I noticed and appreciated while shopping. But switching between radio channel pre-sets is on-screen only.
There are some buttons on the back of the steering wheel that do things, but they aren’t intuitive and are real easy to press by accident. So even physical buttons aren’t always the end-all, be-all solution…
An article I read (which prompted this article) described some of the compromises in European regulations.
To get top safety ratings, a volume control knob was a requirement. But functions like fader, balance, bass, treble and other audio tuning could be accessed through a touchscreen and not be considered a distraction. Makes sense to me.
I think that standardization is a good thing. For example, my GMC allows the driver too flip through presets on the radio. What’s so bad about making certain function standard on a steering wheel? Like when the PRNDL order standardized in 1965 it made it easier for drivers to get used to any car they got into.
My only issue with buttons on the steering wheel are the ones on the back. They are REALLY easy to depress accidentally, and then the radio does weird things. THAT is distracting.
¡No me gustan los screens! I find screens in cars are pesky. If the car is moving, the screen does not respond to touch commands, U have to use the controls on the steering wheel and console, but it’s still a distraction to change things using the console controls. The steering wheel controls are much less distracting.
Agreed. Steering wheel controls are totally intuitive, and just use muscle memory. No distraction.
Just try to aim for and tap a touchscreen button while bouncing down the highway.
The chart of distraction percentages is sobering. Something to think about, whether to use Hands free phone, etc. Wish there were some organization that could simulate an individual’s driver performance to overcome the “oh, that surely doesn’t apply to *me.* At least my touch screen can be completely off if I want. And I still have a gear shifter. In the meantime, my car is today in the garage as the forecasted snow apocalypse does its thing.
Yes Susan… Snowpocalypse ’26 is certainly making a dent in many driving plans today.
Did you notice in that chart that the top row is reaction time of a drunk driver?
went back and looked at it. wow.