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] 13 points 8 months ago (10 children)

I don't understand the touch screens in cars, I would expect them to be more expensive than physical buttons. Are there that many people who think it's fancy that it's a selling feature?

[–] skulkingaround 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Buttons and dials aren't cheap. Even in economy cars it probably costs the manufacturer a few bucks for each one, accounting for the switch itself and all the trim that goes with it.

It only takes a handful to outweigh the cost of the typical LCDs used in car systems.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

My understanding was the screen itself is the expensive part. In the US, it’s required for a backup cam. At that point it’s cheaper and easier to assemble, just having everything on the network and doing software. Physical controls take more build time

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Belgium-based NCAP says that purely digital controls are a potential safety issue. "What we now see is we have more and more ... crashes where people are having collisions because they're being distracted," said Matthew Avery, NCAP's director of strategic development. That matters because fatal car accidents are on the rise in the EU. More than 20,000 people died on the roads in 2022, a 4 percent increase over 2021. The bloc wants to halve the number of road deaths by 2030, with the goal of zero fatalities by 2050. Moreover, if the displays don't have tactile feedback, drivers can be distracted by having to poke at the screen — unsure if the controls are registering. "The problem with touchscreens is that there is inherently a lag in them, and more importantly, there is no haptic feedback," car interiors become increasingly high-tech, the different systems are starting to diverge. Gone are the days of getting into a car and immediately knowing where all the controls are; nowadays drivers have to adjust to each new car. the illumination from the screen diminishes the ability to see down dark road[s] because pupils normally adjust when [cars] have more light inside and [the] instrument panel and touchscreen causes an additional amount of light in the car, therefore diminishing nighttime vision," Carmakers like Tesla which rely heavily on new tech will have to decide if NCAP's five-star rating is worth reversing its interior design

Side note: touch screen are a gimmick not a new technology. the scale you have at the mall has a touch screen and has had one since the 90's. These touch screens are used in specific locations and settings to manage complex ui, with a lower maintenance cost and the chance to keep a device running for longer with a simple os update. Most touchscreen are, believe it or not, still resistive, as they have a strong feedback and they work across most temperature ranges. Most touchscreens are added to static tools like lab tools or workstations like lifts, scales, and so on. At no point they added resistive touchscreen in cars when the tech was new. Wanna know why? Touchscreens suck. Than the Iphone came and brought us here. Now we think that touchscreens are futuristic and fancy. Not, they aren't. Star wars and even Star trek had all physical control with full sets of buttons for the management of the ship. If a starship that you always liked had physical buttons why shouldn't your car have that design?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

I only have a touch screen for entertainment and configuration and still notice how distracted I get when I have to use it. No haptic feedback and multilayered menus are just a bad idea while driving.

Cherry in top is driving at night with astigmatism when theres's a whole illuminated panel in your face.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (6 children)

Can't wait to get enough money to buy a car before 2005

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Wow, have any car manufacturers actually tried changing these functions to touch buttons? I know Tesla got rid of the stalks, but my understanding was they still had physical buttons on the wheel to replace them.

[–] captain_aggravated 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My father has a relatively late model Toyota Avalon. It has a touch screen infotainment system; there are physical buttons on the steering wheel for most functions and a physical volume knob on the dashboard.

The HVAC controls have their own panel, but they're touch sensitive. So you can't feel for the knob or button you want and then interact with it. That shouldn't be legal.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I thought Tesla put handbrakes on the touchscreen as well, which seems all sorts of crazy to me.. Might as well make a list of stuff we really dont want on there now I guess.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

That's actually a good idea, because when your finger is wet the touchscreen doesn't work and on touchscreen is more difficult to develop muscle memory, so you spend more time distracted trying to find the spot on screen to touch

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

can we please throw in banning blue LED headlamps too?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Do any cars actually put those 5 listed controls in their screen though? I think even teslas have buttons for all of those.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (13 children)

Newer Teslas don't have a turn signal stalk. They've put the turn signals on capacitive touch elements on the steering wheel because of course they have.

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