Automakers shift away from full-screen dashboards after safety data

Safety data forces a big design change

Automakers are revising their dashboard designs by reintroducing physical controls after new safety data revealed a significant flaw. Drivers must look away from the road for too long when using large, simple touchscreens to control basic functions. This high risk of distraction is what is forcing major brands like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz to rethink their car interiors.

NHTSA’s guidelines advise designing tasks so that drivers make glances of 2 seconds or less, with no more than 12 seconds of total eyes-off-road time. Despite this safety limit, complex actions, such as programming a navigation destination on a screen, have averaged around 40 seconds in independent testing. for drivers to complete, posing a danger.

High distraction leads to fatal crashes

The primary evidence for this design reversal is the high number of accidents directly linked to driver distraction. The problem is so severe that it has become a leading cause of road fatalities, prompting car manufacturers to seek safer control methods for their vehicles.

In 2023, distracted driving was a factor in crashes that caused 3,275 fatalities across the United States. Furthermore, a study by Virginia Tech experts confirmed that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds can double your risk of being involved in a crash.

Global ratings change car safety rules

International safety watchdogs are now stepping in to use their influence to force design changes on a global scale. Euro NCAP, a central European safety body, announced a critical rule change starting in January 2026 that will penalize over-reliance on touchscreens in 2026 ratings.

To maintain a perfect 5-star rating, new vehicles must retain physical, tactile controls for five core functions: horn, indicators, hazard lights, wipers, and eCall/SOS, to achieve top scores.

Carmakers reverse their touchscreen mistake

Several leading automakers have publicly admitted that moving controls to a full-screen interface was a design failure. Volkswagen’s design leadership has called the move toward haptic/touch sliders a ‘mistake’ and pledged to reintroduce physical buttons.

Volkswagen is adding buttons below the screen for the five most-frequently used functions, such as volume and climate control. Other brands, notably Hyundai, have publicly committed to more physical controls; approaches vary by automaker and model.

Consumers demand controls for usability

Customer preference is a significant factor driving the industry’s shift back to physical controls. Drivers report feeling much safer and more in control when they can operate key functions using their sense of touch without having to look away from the road.

Owner surveys and reviews consistently highlight infotainment/usability problems, and CR often praises models that keep key physical knobs and buttons. In a European Transport Safety Council test, drivers took substantially longer to perform regular tasks on touchscreens compared to using physical buttons.

Large screen size increased complaints

The rapid increase in the size of central touchscreens created complex, digital interiors, leading to high user frustration. Screens on some models quickly grew to diagonal sizes exceeding 15 inches, making them the primary, or only, control center for the driver.

During the large-screen trend, JD Power noted that total customer complaints about infotainment systems increased by 19% annually. In the 2025 JD Power survey, the highest area of concern was touchscreen and digital display performance, with problems reported at a rate of 4.2 issues per 100 vehicles.

Phone data warned of this distraction risk

The current safety issues with car touchscreens are similar to the known dangers of using cell phones while driving. Since these large car screens operate like digital tablets, experts had already predicted the high risk of both visual and mental distraction.

The crash risk was measured as being 2 to 6 times greater when drivers were manipulating a cell phone compared with when they were not distracted. In 2023, the percentage of drivers observed manipulating a hand-held electronic device, including infotainment, reached a high of 7.7% for the 16- to 24-year-old age group.

Old car controls were fastest to operate

Tests comparing the operational speed of modern touchscreens versus old, physical controls demonstrate a huge safety difference. The data make a clear case that simpler, button-only designs were safer in terms of how fast a task could be done.

A specific driver test revealed that a person in a modern car completed a set of tasks covering over 1,300 meters in 44.6 seconds, all without visual guidance at highway speed. This significant difference compared to a 2005 Volvo V70 without a screen proved the safety advantage of physical controls.

Simple controls became complex menu steps

One of the most frequently used features that was moved into the digital menu was the climate control system, making it difficult to use. Implementing simple functions, such as heated seats and fan speed, into deep digital sub-menus required too many inputs from the driver.

An analysis of current car models showed that adjusting the air conditioning temperature often requires multiple on-screen steps, which takes longer than using dedicated knobs in testing on the screen. This time-consuming, multi-step process is the direct opposite of a single, quick turn of a physical knob.

Haptic feedback failed to fix the feeling

To address the issue of missing physical feedback, some car manufacturers have incorporated haptic feedback into their screens. This system utilizes small, rapid vibrations to simulate the sensation of a button press when the driver touches the flat glass display.

However, research found that even with these technical improvements, a driver’s measured eyes-off-road time was still 1.5 times greater on haptic touchscreens. This result confirmed that the technology did not fully solve the core problem of visual distraction.

Voice commands still caused mental load

Automakers strongly promoted advanced voice control systems as a safer, hands-free solution to complex screens. The goal was to reduce visual distraction by allowing the driver to focus solely on the road ahead while performing tasks.

However, even the most advanced voice systems still cause high levels of cognitive distraction, the mental effort required for talking to the system. In one major study, voice command systems were rated an average distraction score of 3.0 out of 5 on the cognitive distraction scale.

Screen materials create dangerous glare

The physical construction of the large, glossy screens introduced unique and dangerous visual problems for drivers. Glare and reflections from the sun or streetlights can temporarily obscure essential data on the screen, diverting the driver’s attention from the road.

Tests showed that bright, direct sunlight can reduce a touchscreen’s visual contrast ratio by 45% due to reflections. This dangerous drop in visual quality means drivers may struggle to quickly and clearly read critical information about the car’s speed.

New rules boost driver monitoring scores

Beyond just the physical controls, new safety protocols are also demanding better systems to check if the driver is paying attention. Euro NCAP is significantly increasing the weight of Driver Monitoring Systems in its official safety scores.

Starting in 2026, these advanced monitoring systems, which track eye and head movements, will account for 25% of the total score. This high-score requirement is a massive increase from the previous score of just two points.

Partial automation increases distraction

The introduction of new self-driving technology, known as “partial automation,” has surprisingly led to more driver distraction. Drivers feel more comfortable multitasking when the car is partially driving itself, despite the system requiring their constant attention.

An IIHS study in September 2024 found that drivers were significantly more likely to engage in distracting tasks, such as checking their phone, while using automation systems. Some drivers were distracted for more than 30% of the total time they were using the automated feature.

Tactile memory is crucial for quick action

The primary safety advantage of physical controls is the ability to operate them using tactile memory, also known as muscle memory, without needing to look. The driver develops an immediate sense of the location and shape of a physical knob or button.

Research published by the SAE demonstrated the immense benefit of this touch memory. A driver could complete an essential task, like adjusting the fan, 51% faster using a dedicated physical button compared to finding and pressing the correct area on a touchscreen.

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The future is a balance of digital and touch

Based on current safety data and customer feedback, the automotive industry is now focused on creating a balanced hybrid interior. This final approach uses screens for complex, varied information and physical controls for simple, repeated tasks.

Automotive market forecasts predict that by the year 2027, more than 70% of new vehicles will be equipped with essential, dedicated physical climate controls. This high figure marks the final, industry-wide reversal of the all-screen design trend that dominated the early 2020s.

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Do you prefer real buttons or touchscreens? Drop your take below.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.