Might Giant Touch SC Controlling Basics of the Car Be as Distracting as Phones?

Over the last few years, carmakers have been removing old school buttons and knobs in favor of giant touch screens. These fancy gadgets, they are teleporting pods flying down the road that do everything, from A/C control to navigation — but are they making driving more dangerous?

Touchscreens Take Over:

Giant central touchscreens are now being installed in the latest cars (and especially electric vehicles and luxury models) too. Other brands such as Tesla, Mercedes and BMW have jumped on this bandwagon, claiming that touchscreens provide:

✔ Minimalist design from far future

✔ Additional Options for Customization

✔ Improved infotainment system integration

But as good as these screens look, many drivers say that is frustrating to use. Shifting some of those most basic functions — such as the temperature or the speed of the fans — now takes a few more taps, a distraction while drivers try to keep their eyes on the road.

The Safety Questions: Do Touchscreens Create More Distraction?

There are some indications that" Touchscreens may exert more of a cognitive load than do physical buttons. Key issues include:

🔹 Slower Reaction Times – Scrolling on-screen menus to make adjustments requires time taken away from the job or task at hand.

🔹 No Haptic Feedback – No tactile response means drivers need to take their eyes off the screen to verify selections.

🔹 Overloaded Menus – Basic functions, such as defrosting windows, are sometimes found in submenus.

A 2023 study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that infotainment systems can distract drivers for as many as 40 seconds — enough for them to cover half a mile at 30 mph.

Are There Better Options?

Tech and safety are a balancing act for some automakers:

✅ Voice Commands – Free up your hands, less screen time.

✅ Haptic Touch – Imitates the press of a button for a smoother feel.

✅ Convenient Shortcut Buttons – Gives quick access to critical functions.

The Future of Car Controls: Style vs.

Big touchscreens are cool and all, but never at the expense of safety. Touchscreens in autonomous-drivi9ng cars could be safer as the feature evolves — but for now, drivers should be careful.

What Do You Think?

Which do you prefer, touchscreens or mechanical buttons? Tell us in the comments!

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