They will insist on installing physical buttons for security in cars

Car manufacturers seem to have an obsession: making their vehicles more and more like tablets or smartphones. For this reason, many of them are deciding to eliminate physical buttons.

Anyone who buys a Tesla Model S will find that there are only 6 of them: four to operate the windows and two located on the steering wheel and which can be customized. The rest is controlled from the central touch screen. Yes, even vehicle ignition, lights or automatic gear controls.

But what if the screen stops working? In that case, the driver has to constantly touch an area of ​​the dashboard to display the minimum controls (gears and lights), but they are also tactile.

If you don’t like Tesla’s philosophy, we’re sorry: almost all manufacturers are copying Elon Musk’s company, although none have yet reached the level of the brand’s ‘anti-button’ fanaticism. But perhaps this trend of removing mechanical parts is a temporary fad. Euro NCAP, the body that assesses car safety in Europe, will try to promote the use of physical buttons for key functions in future “safe driving” tests.

The idea of ​​forcing automakers to include more physical controls is to eliminate the increasing reliance on touch screens for basic car functions and Keep the driver’s attention on the road.

This process will be initiated from 2026, when according to Schramm, the Euro NCAP rating system will “incorporate 5 points out of 100 in the safe driving section to motivate manufacturers to push for intuitive and easy-to-use vehicle controls”. Even the importance of physical checks in cars is likely to increase in the name of safety. “In future protocols, this may increase in importance in the grading scheme,” Schramm said.

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Many automakers do not currently offer cars with physical controls for frequently used functions such as windshield wipers and turn signals. For example, although the Tesla Model 3 currently has a five-star safety rating, it comes with a “stickless” design with buttons on the steering wheel for turn signals and wipers. Under the new Euro NCAP guidelines, future cars with this provision could be penalized with a lower safety score.

Do touch screens make cars more dangerous?

Ubiquitous touch screens are seen everywhere from mobile phones to wall ovens, supermarket cash registers, supersonic fighters, suborbital spacecraft and cars. When it comes to cars, there’s a trick. A big net.

As automakers look for new ways to take advantage of touchscreens, ostensibly to make things easier for the driver, there is a growing realization that they may actually be making the driving environment more dangerous. .

Not in terms of electric shock caused by system failure or faulty design, but in terms of road safety. In contrast, for example, an airplane pilot who uses a touch screen – who is often supported by a co-pilot and rarely needs to react immediately to a developing situation – A car driver must be constantly alert while driving.

In a constantly changing environment, as almost everyone knows, even momentary distractions can have disastrous consequences. In a moving vehicle, even at low speed, events happen very quickly.

The problem is that, for car designers, touch screens are attractive, Many strive to outdo their competitors, to the extent that today a dashboard with any type of physical buttons is considered archaic, clumsy, and ineffective. The button, knob and lever style has gone out of style. The question is whether the touch screen demands too much from the driver.

Safe operation of a moving vehicle requires constant attention to what is happening outside: the movements of other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, traffic lights and, in general, instant decisions in any situation. And preventive action may be required.

The last thing a driver needs is the attention that a touch screen demands. In contrast to the technological advancements used to improve safety – such as front and rear autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and driver fatigue monitoring – many argue that touch screen technology is completely ineffective. Works opposite.

Using a touch screen while driving is complicated. Trying to accurately place your finger on a moving target, even on relatively smooth surfaces, is a challenge that often requires extreme visual concentration.

As authorities crack down on mobile phone use while driving, there is growing awareness that integrated touch screens can be just as dangerous, if not more so. The NCAP decision confirms this principle.

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