On April 27th, it was reported that touchscreen displays in cars may not be as convenient as they seem. This seemingly high-tech design actually brings a lot of trouble and danger to drivers. Fortunately, some car manufacturers have finally realized this problem and have started to reintroduce physical buttons and knobs to control various functions of the car.
The application of touchscreens in cars can be traced back to Tesla, which refers to its cars as “wheeled tablets.” Many other car brands have followed suit, using touchscreens as a symbol of fashion and technology. However, touchscreens are not necessarily better than buttons and knobs, and are actually cheaper. Automotive critics and YouTube channel and podcast host Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire claims that touchscreens cost less than 50 dollars, while buttons and knobs are far more expensive.
The biggest problem with touchscreens is that they distract drivers’ attention. In the past, you could adjust the radio or air conditioning without looking at the dashboard. But now, you have to stare at the screen and go through various menus to find the function you want. A study by the American Automobile Association Foundation found that using a touchscreen could distract drivers for up to 40 seconds, which is enough to travel half a mile (about 0.8 kilometers) while driving at 50 miles per hour (IT Home Note: about 80.47 kilometers), which is very dangerous for driving.
Ironically, almost everyone thinks that using a phone while driving is dangerous, but now all new cars have a tablet inside, and some operations can only be done through the tablet.
In recent years, more and more consumers have expressed dissatisfaction with touchscreens. They believe that touchscreens do not improve the driving experience or increase safety, but rather confuse them. Some media have also published articles criticizing touchscreens, pointing out that they are “born to solve non-existent problems.” Car manufacturers have also noticed this and have begun to change their design concepts.
Porsche was the first to take action. This luxury brand restored physical buttons and knobs in the 2024 Cayenne. Volkswagen Group has also followed suit, eliminating the annoying touch controls on the steering wheel and stating that future electric cars will also have more physical buttons. At the same time, some car brands that have never used touchscreens are also promoting their advantages. Nissan and Hyundai both stated that they insist on using physical buttons and knobs to meet consumer needs.
Of course, not all car manufacturers have given up touchscreens. Brands such as Mercedes-Benz and General Motors still insist on using large and complex touchscreen systems, and the latter even refuses to be compatible with popular mobile applications such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.