Car manufacturers have adopted digital displays as the central control system in modern vehicles, but growing evidence highlights a serious issue: distracted driving. Touchscreen interfaces, once celebrated for their modern design, are now criticised for reducing road safety by drawing drivers’ attention away from the road for extended periods.
Over the past ten years, most new vehicles have replaced physical buttons and knobs with large digital screens. Popularised initially by electric vehicle brands, this shift focused on visual appeal and multifunctionality rather than tactile usability. Physical buttons can often be operated by touch, while touchscreens require drivers to look away from the road, often scrolling through complex menus to carry out simple actions such as changing the temperature or radio station.
Studies comparing older cars with physical controls to those with touchscreens have revealed significant differences. One study found drivers using traditional controls completed tasks in 10 seconds, covering around 300 metres at highway speeds. Those using touchscreen systems took up to 45 seconds, which means travelling more than a kilometre without looking at the road. Even brief use of a touchscreen led to several seconds of diverted attention, greatly affecting awareness.
The danger is serious enough that a major European car safety organisation plans to withhold its top safety rating from cars that rely only on touchscreens for basic functions such as indicators and wipers. Although these ratings are not legally required, they influence car manufacturers, prompting some to reintroduce physical buttons in response to safety concerns and customer dissatisfaction.
Automakers in Germany, South Korea and other countries are responding by bringing back physical dials and switches to restore driver confidence. Meanwhile, alternatives like voice-activated controls are becoming more common, though their reliability is still being studied. The key question remains whether technological convenience is worth the risk to driver focus.
