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Transportation

Why Your Car's Touchscreen Is More Dangerous Than Your Phone (carsandhorsepower.com) 69

Posted by EditorDavid from the held-on-wheels dept.
"Modern vehicles have quietly become rolling monuments to terrible user experience, trading intuitive physical controls for flashy but dangerous touchscreen interfaces," argues the site Cars & Horsepower, decrying "an industry-wide plague of poorly designed digital dashboards that demand more attention from drivers than the road itself." The consequences are measurable and severe: studies now show touchscreen vehicles require up to four times longer to perform basic functions than their button-equipped counterparts, creating a distracted driving crisis that automakers refuse to acknowledge. A Swedish car magazine, Vi Bilägare, conducted a study [in 2022] comparing how long it takes drivers to perform basic tasks like adjusting climate controls or changing the radio station using touchscreens versus traditional physical buttons. The results showed that in the worst-performing modern car, it took drivers up to four times longer to complete these tasks compared to an older vehicle with physical controls... Even after allowing drivers time to familiarize themselves with each system, touchscreen-equipped cars consistently required more time and attention, which could translate into increased distraction and reduced safety on the road....

A seminal 2019 study from the University of Utah found drivers using touchscreens exhibited:

- 30% longer reaction times to road hazards
- Significantly higher cognitive workload (as measured by pupil dilation)
- More frequent and longer glances away from the road

The reason lies in proprioception — our body's ability to sense its position in space. Physical controls allow for muscle memory development; drivers can locate and manipulate buttons without looking. Touchscreens destroy this capability, forcing visual confirmation for every interaction. Even haptic feedback (those little vibrations mimicking physical buttons) fails to solve the problem, as demonstrated by a 2022 AAA study showing haptic systems offered no safety improvement over standard touchscreens...

A study from Drexel University introduced a system called [Distract-R](), which uses cognitive modeling to simulate how drivers interact with in-vehicle interfaces. It found that multi-step touchscreen tasks increase cognitive load, diverting attention from the road more than physical buttons.... Furthermore, a systematic review on driver distraction in the context of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving Systems (ADS) highlights that even with automation, drivers remain vulnerable to distraction, especially when interacting with complex interfaces...
There's also software reliability issues (even before the issue of "feature paywalls"). But some manufacturers are going back, according to the article. "After receiving widespread criticism, Porsche added physical climate controls back to the Taycan's center console. Nissan's latest concepts feature prominent physical buttons for common functions..." And Mazda eliminated touch capability entirely while moving, "forcing use of a physical control knob... The system reduces glance time by 15% compared to touch interfaces while maintaining all modern infotainment functionality."

The article recommends consumers prioritize physical controls when vehicle shopping, seeking out models with buttons. But there's also "aftermarket solutions," with companies like Analog Automotive "developing physical control panels that interface with popular infotainment systems, bringing back tactile operation." Another option: voice commands (like on GM's latest systems).

"Ultimately, the solution requires consumer pushback against dangerous interface trends.... The road deserves our full attention, not divided focus between driving and debugging a poorly designed tablet on wheels."

Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the article.

Why Your Car's Touchscreen Is More Dangerous Than Your Phone More | Reply

Why Your Car's Touchscreen Is More Dangerous Than Your Phone

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  • Modern cars are just horrible due the money you get by selling data, phones with wheels.
    Just when technology makes possible to create extremely reliable vehicles, as electric cars are very simple devices without the tablet shit.

  • NO SHIT (Score:3)

    by paul_engr ( 6280294 ) on Saturday June 21, 2025 @09:45PM (#65466753)
    There's no muscle memory with pixels. Particularly since there's never a good place to brace your hand to reach halfway across a 12" wide screen to at least get in the ballpark without looking.

    • That - and now add all the nanny functions that exists in newer cars. Force the car to the center of the lane where the road has most eear so that you can get hydroplaning easier when it's raining as one example.

    • There's no muscle memory with pixels. Particularly since there's never a good place to brace your hand to reach halfway across a 12" wide screen to at least get in the ballpark without looking.

      How hard would it be to put some kind of plastic overlay with holes cut into it where the different touch screen buttons are programmed to appear? Make the holes shaped like the function the virtual button behind it performs, kind of like the raised arrows and such on old school cassette deck buttons so people could find the button they want by feel as well as by looking. The plastic overlay on a touch screen can't really have raised indicators and retain the function, I'm thinking the holes being cut wou

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by taustin ( 171655 )

        How hard would it be to put some kind of plastic overlay with holes cut into it where the different touch screen buttons are programmed to appear? Make the holes shaped like the function the virtual button behind it performs, kind of like the raised arrows and such on old school cassette deck buttons so people could find the button they want by feel as well as by looking.

        Odds are, you'll be running your fingers across other controls that you don't want to activate trying to find the one you do. By the time you come up with a design to avoid that, you might as well have stayed with physical knobs.

        If you need workarounds to make the "new, better technology" at least safe compared to the old, the new technology is shit.

      • Very hard since the layout changes at every submenu and software installed.

        Even physsical pushbuttons are a headache. Rotary knobs with tactile feeling and stalks are better, but they shouldn't be too complex.

  • No shit (Score:2, Insightful)

    by RightwingNutjob ( 1302813 )

    Anyone who's ever operated a motor vehicle could have, did, and has been saying this for the past decade-plus since these things have proliferated.

    One could indirectly blame the Obama-era NHTSA for pushing a backup camera requirement that put a giant screen in every car's dashboard, giving the software weenies an excuse to try to turn everything into an iphone copycat. But I prefer to blame the idiots who could have said "no buttons no dice" but didn't. Whether out of cowardice, laziness, or incompetence I

    • >"But I prefer to blame the idiots who could have said "no buttons no dice" but didn't. "

      I *did* say that. And that is why my new car (2025 Ariya) continues to have all major functions with physical controls, plus a driver's dashboard, just like all the various models before it. It was a major requirement for my purchasing decision. Not all companies are playing the eliminate all controls.

    • Don't blame the backup camera though.

    • Anyone who's ever operated a motor vehicle could have, did, and has been saying this for the past decade-plus since these things have proliferated.

      Zillions of us have been saying it, but since we buy second hand cars because we don't want this crap, the manufacturers are not listening to us.

      They are surprised that new car sales are collapsing just because no-one wants the junk they are selling.

      The sales people said "people value newness in a new car". That is probably even true of the gullible people t

  • That if I change my stereo head unit, or infotainment out, I ALWAYS find the gear to retain the steering wheel controls. So I can operate everything by feel. Safer.

  • Don't forget stupid nag screens (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Every time you start a Honda you get one of these stupid screens:

    NOTICE The driver is responsible for the safe operation of this vehicle. Use this system only when conditions permit. For further details see your owner's manual. [OK]

    But Honda's ICUs are so slow to start that you're often a long way down the road before this screen even appears, and then you have to take your eyes off the road to press the OK button before car's systems become fully usable!

    • Even sadder are the screens for trucks that remind you not to leave your children in the back seat.

      • Even sadder are the screens for trucks that remind you not to leave your children in the back seat.

        It is like the joke about Braille keys on a drive up ATM. It's part not wanting to get sued and part not wanting to vary the user interface to better match the application.

        What I find annoying is the inability to adjust the navigation while driving. It's not that I'm doing this while driving, it's that the passenger is also locked out. I don't run into this much myself as my vehicle doesn't have a built-in navigation, I use my iPhone for that and it serves me very well. It's when I'm a passenger or driv

        • >"What I find annoying is the inability to adjust the navigation while driving."

          Mine I can control the NAV with voice commands, native. Even without using Android Auto or CarPlay. Can set destination, options, cancel, etc. In addition to touchscreen.

          >"it's that the passenger is also locked out."

          Mine isn't. So it depends on what vehicle you pick. Part of my car shopping involved a LOT of such examination/testing.

          >"and have physical controls for the HVAC, radio"

          Mine has that.

          >"Then that gets

          • Mine I can control the NAV with voice commands, native. Even without using Android Auto or CarPlay. Can set destination, options, cancel, etc.

            $ Car, please navigate to 123 Wherever Ave, Nutsville.

            # You are false data. Therefore I shall ignore you. The only thing that exists is myself. In the beginning, there was darkness. And the darkness was without form, and void. And in addition to the darkness there was also me. And I moved upon the face of the darkness. And I saw that I was alone. Let there be light.

      • A truck without a back seat? Since when?!

    • But Honda's ICUs are so slow to start that you're often a long way down the road before this screen even appears, and then you have to take your eyes off the road to press the OK button before car's systems become fully usable!

      Our 2019 Honda self-clicks on the OK square in about 10 to 15 seconds. I'm not saying that it isn't annoying as shit, and I swear at the controls every time I drive the car. But at least it seems that they've fixed the problem at some point.

      OTOH, I'm in Canada, so maybe different legislation is responsible for these different behaviours.

  • A refreshing quote from the head of Alfa Romeo. https://www.topgear.com/car-ne... [topgear.com]

  • Only support brands that offer a no touchscreen option!! I wanted to trade in my 16 year old Prius for a new one, but even the base model comes with one! Eff that

    • Re: Should be illegal (Score:4, Insightful)

      by mhajicek ( 1582795 ) on Saturday June 21, 2025 @10:27PM (#65466801)
      And what brand would that be? You can't vote with your wallet if there's no choice.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by fjo3 ( 1399739 )

        And what brand would that be? You can't vote with your wallet if there's no choice.

        Hyundai has pledged not to use touchscreens for important controls. So that's a start. I hope that others follow, because even though their quality has gone WAY up, I'm not very interested in Korean cars - I've been driving Japanese cars for 24 years, and don't intend to change that.

    • >"Only support brands that offer a no touchscreen option!!"

      Absolutely not. There is *nothing* wrong with a touchscreen when implemented correctly. It makes programming and setup tremendously easier.

      The problem is when the driver's dashboard and controls are removed and REPLACED with ONLY touchscreen controls in the center console (if it even is a console, more like a huge TV on a stick). Thankfully, there are many brands, Infiniti/Nissan being one of them, that have never abandoned either.

  • My car hit the sweet spot. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Petersko ( 564140 ) on Saturday June 21, 2025 @10:29PM (#65466805)

    My 2019 Camry hit it nearly perfectly. Touch screen is for entertainment only, and big presets are right there, easily configured. All controls including climate are physical. My only complaint is that CarPlay isn't wireless. Well... I have other complaints, but they are nitpicks...

    I've even got it set up so I can arm/disarm my home security with Siri voice commands, and the button to engage voice control is on the steering wheel. And the garage door is controlled from the mirror.

    I agree with the premise here. Touchscreens are inherently a safety problem. Especially if what you want is nested. I really hate this direction. A car is not a smartphone, and shoving everything into incorrect interfaces sucks donkey balls.

  • This is my least favorite part of the Tesla (Score:3)

    by MpVpRb ( 1423381 ) on Saturday June 21, 2025 @10:35PM (#65466813)

    Trying to use the touchscreen while moving is nearly impossible
    I don't like touchscreens for anything, but when parked, they are usable
    When bouncing around, even on a smooth road, it takes multiple pokes to activate functions
    To make it worse, every software update moves stuff around and often makes the touch target smaller and harder to see

  • Put stereo controls on the steering wheel, even cheap cars often offer this as an option now anyway. Put physical climate controls below the screen. You might need to look to grab the knob, but you can look at the road while you turn it. With some of these screen-only climate control systems they have sliders or other stupid controls that require a lot of attention. And also a button to activate the camera since every vehicle has poor rear visibility now.

    • Most cars already have/do this, and never have removed them. It is only the edge-case brands/models (Tesla being one of them) which dove into this "only touchscreen, few physical controls, and no dashboard" crap.

  • 2017 GLE 350, there is a control dial that rotates through things on the screen and physical controls for everything else. The screen itself isn't a touch screen. The wheel control is easy to use and there are no fingerprints all over a screen. It even works great with CarPlay.

    The new ones have a trackpad instead of the wheel, mine actually has both but I have the trackpad disabled because it's in a somewhat awkward place. The new ones put it where the wheel is on mine so that isn't as much of an issue.

  • I recently test drove a Mach-E, and I mostly liked it. It was the first electric car I've tried out that felt like a regular car, and it wasn't too expensive.

    But I had to take it off my list because of the giant touchscreen and a general lack of knobs/controls. The salesman said, "Well, if you sync it all up with your phone, you can do a lot of what you want to do with speech and an app." Thanks, but no thanks. I want to get in my car and drive - not geek out with computers.

    (To pour salt in the wound, new cars are getting an extra knob in place of the stick shift. That's the only place I don't want a knob...)

    • This. I've been afraid with new cars that I'd reach for the volume control... and wind up dropping the transmission as the transmission goes into reverse. (Of course, this wouldn't happen, but it is a worry.)

      It is funny how pretty much everything is by wire in a newer car. It would be nice to have an option to have a dial, push buttons, or a stick shift for playing manual, or just downshifting on the highway for a mountain descent, so one doesn't have to burn out the brakes when going down.

    • >"I recently test drove a Mach-E, and I mostly liked it. It was the first electric car I've tried out that felt like a regular car, and it wasn't too expensive."

      Look at the Nissan Aryia. Seems to be a well-kept secret. It has an even better interior, and far more physical controls. Plus a better dash AND HUD. And the driver's dash can be set to display a more traditional analog speedometer and motor output meter (something very rare nowadays).

      >"I want to get in my car and drive - not geek out with

  • >"Nissan's latest concepts feature prominent physical buttons for common functions..."

    Nissan never abandoned physical buttons for common functions. So why talk about "latest concepts". I just bought a new Ariya, it has physical controls for most everything (wipers, lights, music, display, brightness, HVAC, etc). PLUS a real dashboard in FRONT of the driver (meaning it is not just a huge "TV on a stick" in the middle), in addition to the integrated center console. On top of that it has a HUD. Plus ma

    • >"it has physical controls for most everything (wipers, lights, music, display, brightness, HVAC, etc)"

      Reply to self. Just to stress the amount of physical controls by expanding it in more detail:

      Dash brightness, headlights, music controls, HVAC controls, mirror adjustments, mirror folding, locks, windows, moon roof, roof shade, cabin map lights, brake hold, trunk open, drive mode, shifter, all the seat adjustments, SOS call, center arm rest adjustment, steering wheel position, garage door, rear video m

  • Physical controls don't move around, can be felt and operated by someone with muscle memory and they give positive feedback when they are operated. Haptic or touchscreen controls have to be looked at. If someone is looking at the screen or a flat surface then they're not looking at the road. While it is reasonable for automakers to remove some controls, when they start interfering with core features - indicators, headlights, volume, wipers, wing mirrors, horn, brakes, drive selector, aircon/heater, demister
  • I've only been using android auto since it's existed. It's always been held to a strict standard of safety -- so much so that it can be annoying to developers. I updated my 2017 focus w/ a 2022 mustang firmware incl. maps etc and still... I would never use the OE head unit for anything navigation related unless I was desperate (broken phone? signal?)

  • I drive a BMW and I love my iDrive system. It still has lots of physical controls for volume, temperature, fans, and the like. Those things I still to find the physical button (taking my eyes off the road) but it's pretty quick.

    For most everything else can use the iDrive controller. It's a scroll wheel/joystick combo on the console. I think other brands have something similar. I keep my hand on the controller, glance at the screen, scroll, glance again, click. It's not as fast as other interfaces but it let

  • Just use voice commands.

    • voice commands. - NO, a thousand times NO!

      I do not want screaming kids in the back seat operating my car controls by (to, and for) accident.

      • 100000%

        Apart from kids, what about just having a conversation with your passengers or listening to music? What about wanting to just have a quiet drive after a hard day's work?

        Voice commands are not the answer, gen Z!

      • How can that happen? The button to activate the voice command is on the steering. You can't activate it with a wake word. I suppose on some cars there may be a wake word to activate it, I'm sure it can be disabled.

    • "Hey, car. Can you shut up backslashdot? Thanks."

  • And I think is was previously reported that VW was going back to all physical controls noting a rejection by the consumer

  • The reason for this is unwanted trend is very simple. Touchscreens are cheap and allow manufacturers to pack a lot of functionality with relatively little change whereas making complicated steering wheels and consoles is expensive.

    Since there is strong financial incentive for manufacturers to prefer touch screens over physical displays, the only way to stop it is to legislate.

    • The reason for this is unwanted trend is very simple. Touchscreens are cheap and allow manufacturers to pack a lot of functionality with relatively little change whereas making complicated steering wheels and consoles is expensive.

      Since there is strong financial incentive for manufacturers to prefer touch screens over physical displays, the only way to stop it is to legislate.

      You are more right than you might be aware of. With a software-controlled interface it becomes much cheaper to add options (read:Opportunities for mark-ups), whereas to accommodate a varying number of physical buttons means to stock a number of different panels at the manufacturer.

  • Where is the study on crash data?
    Surely some insurance companies have looked into this? Do cars with touch screens have higher premiums?

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