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] 226 points 7 months ago (5 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.

[–] Num10ck 120 points 7 months ago (1 children)

and opening the fucking doors

[–] [email protected] 42 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Is this some tesla thing or what?

[–] SupraMario 37 points 7 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Drive controls too, no swipe for reverse bullshit.

[–] SupraMario 7 points 7 months ago

Yea I honestly hated when they made automatics go from a physical shifter that shifted actual gear linkage to electric selection dials. It's insanely stupid, and a fucking nightmare to repair, but now going to a touchscreen is asking to get people injured.

[–] JDPoZ 47 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (5 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.

[–] CosmicCleric 40 points 7 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.

[–] Lemzlez 7 points 7 months ago

I can see the case for some of them after you’ve been in a crash (although if the pyro fuse has blown, not much requiring switches will work anymore, regardless of the type of controls), but if you want physical controls for the rear view mirror for safety, you should probably start adjusting that before you start driving.

Same for cabin lights, whatever you’re doing that needs the lights on should probably be done stationary, if you care about safety.

[–] urandom 1 points 7 months ago

If you are operating any of these while driving, you are doing something wrong

[–] [email protected] -4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You shouldn't be adjusting your seats, steering wheel, and mirrors while driving. Interior lights neither, they should be off if you need them you're not looking at the road. Climate control is also non-critical all that might be annoying but you don't need to do it while driving. "car starting" isn't really a thing with many cars any more, even gasoline ones, they switch the motor off automatically when you're standing for a while and start once you select a gear, hit the throttle, whatever.

Door handles though I absolutely agree, it's a safety thing: You can make them fancy schmancy electric all you want but they also have to open the lock mechanically, e.g. by pulling the lever with some force none of that Tesla "open the maintenance hatch and find a steel cable to pull on".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Climate control actually is critical, since fogging/frosting of the windshield is a thing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Ok most climate controls are non-critical. If you live in climates where fogging and frosting while already driving might be an issue (which are conceivable but rather extreme conditions) you should probably get into the habit of setting the controls to a sensible value as soon as you get in.

It's also a design thing, it really doesn't take much for a car to be smart enough to throw warm air at the inside of the wind shield (no AC required) if the temperature is low.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 7 months ago (1 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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

What controls do you need to operate the car?

I though everything the article mentions is already a physical control, like horn and windshield wipers.

It’s only temperature that is digital.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

In the Tesla the wipers are on the touch screen.

I’ve heard new models also to change gears you use the touch screen. Mine has a control for that but I’ve heard in newer models they removed that.

Temperature is also touch screen.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

For mine, the wipers are on the left side. You can click once to run it once and then use the roller buttons to change intensity

[–] [email protected] -4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Do you have gear selector on yours ?

I’d actually like that setup. Mine is all touch for wipers since they are “automatic”.

My Audi has a control for it. Now I do feel the Audi has too many sticks. I have three which just seems like too many.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 7 months ago

Gear selector? No of course not, mine doesn’t have gears (or so I’ve been told so). I was told that the idea is that the driver shouldn’t need to touch the touch screen mid drive, and honestly, imo it’s mostly like that. Having said that, I would like further improvement like temperature buttons/knobs.

[–] Poem_for_your_sprog 1 points 7 months ago

Temperature is critical if your windshield fogs up. Teslas are steaming piles of garbage though, so no surprise on anything they do.

[–] repungnant_canary 12 points 7 months ago

Exactly! Climate, audio, seats and mirrors controls also must be physical as they are more or less directly related to safety

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Eh, I think this strikes the perfect balance where it ensures safety while not stifling innovation. Touchscreens are bad, and the consensus around that is growing. But the solution might not be a return to physical buttons, there are many possibilities and some might turn out easier and safer.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If you're implicitly suggesting voice commands or throwing "AI" into the mix, I would dare say that's worse.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

No I'm just against closing doors. This is a great example of the bare minimum being regulated due to safety and it's regulated to be something tried and tested, like anything safety related should be. While letting the market, i.e. us consumers decide on the other stuff. It's not the right solution to have politicians decide how a cars auxiliary functions should be operated.

[–] thefactremains 21 points 7 months ago

If looking at the screen to find the volume touch control causes more accidents than physical knobs, that's a safety issue.

[–] dojan 17 points 7 months ago

It's clearly not the right solution to let car manufacturers decide that either, or we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.

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

Touch screens are not “bad”. They’re great for things like gps. They’re just bad for driving functions.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Was still talking about the safety stuff here. Like turn signals and hazard lights and the stuff the person above wanted added in climate controls etc

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Then we agree. Anything driving related shouldn’t be in the touchscreen. Both my cars have touch screens my Tesla you have to use it for almost everything.

The Audi just for non-driving functions.

The Tesla use to be better but they changed it. It’s harder to do anything on it now.