this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2024
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Carmakers are equipping their latest models with fancy touchscreens, but that could cause problems with Europe’s largest car safety authority.

The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) is revamping its rating system starting Jan. 1, 2026 to mandate that five of a car's primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.

Car models will have to comply to get NCAP's coveted five-star rating. The scheme is voluntary but is heeded by most automakers because it's closely monitored by consumers.

Belgium-based NCAP says that purely digital controls are a potential safety issue.

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[–] [email protected] 227 points 4 months ago (12 children)

to mandate that five of a car's primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.

Good, but would be great if climate control, volume/mute, and other things that need frequent adjustment while driving were also part of the mandate.

[–] [email protected] 121 points 4 months ago (1 children)

and opening the fucking doors

[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Is this some tesla thing or what?

[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not just Tesla, bunch of manufacturers are doing this shit now.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Drive controls too, no swipe for reverse bullshit.

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (9 children)

Car seat adjustment, above seat vehicle interior lights, steering wheel adjustment, door handles, door locks, main rear view mirror, climate controls for vents and seats, car starting, and trunk and seat releases should all have controls that can be operated either directly or with physical buttons.

If there is ALSO a screen driven element, that’s fine, but this stuff needs to work without a screen.

This stuff is not being done for the sake of UX. It is for saving money at the expense of consumer safety.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 months ago

This stuff is not being done for the sake of UX. It is for saving money at the expense of consumer safety.

This. Everyone, keep your eye on the ball.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago (6 children)

I have Tesla and their old design I could do easily while driving. They did a UI update and not everything takes several clicks. Anything that is critical to running the car should have a manual control. If touch screen isn’t available, you need to be able to operate the car, if nothing else to get to a repair center.

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[–] [email protected] 90 points 4 months ago (11 children)
[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm sincerely appreciative of everything they do for consumers as a whole. Not everything makes it across the pond but at the very least it sets precedent and a lot of the groundwork is done if our politicians ever decide to get their shit together and give us a ground to stand on against corporations and lobbyists.

A guy can dream.

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[–] [email protected] 88 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Using your phone while driving is illegal, so we made all the controls on the same technology.

Genius. About time it's banned.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 4 months ago

My favorite is the warning to not look at the screen, which you have to acknowledge to get it to go away.

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[–] [email protected] 78 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Nice to see EU policy finally flourishing now that they're no longer getting nerfed by the UK's membership.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This is the truth. The EU is much more efficient without the UK.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (6 children)

What made the UK such a hindrance for the EU?

[–] [email protected] 54 points 4 months ago

They had a veto and they also had the Tories

[–] vaultdweller013 28 points 4 months ago (6 children)

Modern England is a blight apon civilization, though half joking aside. As I understand it the UKs conservative bullshit maid it so they functioned like Kentucky here in the US, basically drawing shit out till it died. Which is makes sense when you consider that England without London is about as wealthy as Mississippi.

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 4 months ago

Touch controls in a car is definitely up there among the absolute dumbest ideas of the century.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Car models will have to comply to get NCAP’s coveted five-star rating. The scheme is voluntary but is heeded by most automakers because it’s closely monitored by consumers.

Bollocks. F*ck this shit. Make it mandatory and take those ticking time bombs of the road. They are endangering OTHER people's lives. Voluntary my ass.

[–] [email protected] 75 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

This is faster than passing a law. Do this first then work on legislation in parallel.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

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[–] [email protected] 56 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Fucking good. Long overdue.

I love some EVs, but I drove a Polestar 2 and a Model 3 on road trips for work in California. Never again. The nighttime driving experience is miserable imo, and the issues with the lack of stalks and buttons is real.

The Polestar is the only car to ever make me so angry I had to pull over. It had some kind of sensor issue, and decided the right way to notify my at 80mph on the highway was to A) cover my gate cluster with the error notification B) disengage my cruise control suddenly, at 80mph, and C) begin beeping.

I almost drove my rental into the Pacific Ocean out of spite.

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Yes! I fucking love buttons and dials! And maybe Android Auto can just heckin' let me use my phone keyboard when I'm stopped.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features.

What about: Headlights? Fog lights? Climate control? Etc..

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 4 months ago

Good, there's no reason for there to be more information displayed than you can read at a glance. And you should be able to feel for the controls you need instead of having to look at the screen and flip through menus.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 4 months ago (13 children)

Can we just use the European safety regulations for American cars? I'm tired of watching them get all the safety stuff a decade ahead of us.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I don't see anything about gas, brake, or steering. Next generation EU market Tesla will feature drive-by-theremin.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Got very happy seeing the title, but we’re just talking about the bare minimum like horns and windshield wipers. A tiny step in the right direction, but not much else

[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's stopping it getting worse for a start. Bloody negative Nancy.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 months ago (1 children)

EU being based as always. I have to admit it's pretty damn rare they let me down.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Add it to the list of "shit nobody wants but car manufacturers keep fucking doing", along with gloss black trim and capacitive buttons.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's going to be funny when there's an entire decade of vehicles no one wants to buy on the used market. I'm looking forward to it. These touchscreens are terrible.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Some new tesla you change drive controls by swiping on a tablet. That seemed bit too much.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (6 children)

I think they need to be super explicit to stop the likes of Tesla weaseling out or doing the bare minimum:

  • Wipers, speed settings, auto on/off should be on a stalk for front and rear wipers
  • Indicators should be on a stalk with
  • Hazard lights must be a physical button
  • Horn may be on the wheel or a button
  • Lights on/off/full beam/dip/auto must be a dial or a stalk
  • Demister / heated window must be physical buttons
  • Gears must be a physical rocker, lever or dial

And button / dial etc here means an actual push up/down button not some haptic / touch sensitive shit.

Because at the moment Tesla are basically cheaping out of providing physical controls to save money. It doesn't matter if someone crashes their car fiddling to set the wiper speed because Tesla saved $20 on a stalk and that's all that matters.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago (8 children)

Touchscreens in cars are stupid. Add miniature track pads to that too.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago (4 children)

mandate that five of a car’s primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.

Would love to see cruise control added to that list.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago

Good, now North America needs to do the same. Sick of touchscreens. Also make it so it's harder to steal my car too thanks.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago (8 children)

aside from a rear view camera, theres no reason to have a screen in a car

[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Well, I like it for showing me what song is playing and to have my navigation up - but other than that - I don't want to be touching or interacting with it at all.

edit: grammar

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What about the wind screen?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago

Listen here you little-

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

Hard disagree. Modern dash displays give tons of useful information that would be very hard to display legibly with dials. The flexibility they offer is good too, often having more than one dash layout. Nav screens are also extremely useful. Going anywhere and never getting lost? Get outta here.

And rear camera? Don't get me started on how a little dirt destroys your rear view until you pull over to clean it or how they represent a more difficult scenario for your eyes, increasing the amount of time you don't have your eyes on the road every time you check it. Unless you mean a back up camera and not a replacement for a rear view mirror, in which case yes those are super awesome.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago

Fucking good, everything being touchscreen is completely insane.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (3 children)

So when are they gonna wake up and finally do something about these automatic dimming headlights? They blind me regularly.

On a curvy street its impossible to not get blinded, no matter if the car is following me, or driving opposite way.

Who allowed that shit while clearly not testing it.

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