Research shows that hardware buttons in cars are safer than touch screens

2023-12-20

According to foreign media reports, if there is a trend in the development of automobiles that needs to be stopped immediately, it is to abandon physical control and instead adopt complex touch screens. This not only affects the interior design, but also makes the driver and passengers feel anxious. Tesla is one of the leaders of this trend, a car manufacturer that has pioneered the trend of full digitization, with everything controlled through the car's touch screen.

In fact, some data indicates that touch screens are not conducive to car safety and are not as secure as traditional physical controls. The Swedish automotive magazine Vi Bil ä game conducted a study comparing 11 modern cars, such as the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, MG Marvel R, and Subaru Outback, with a 2005 Volvo V70 to see if controlling older cars is easier and safer.

Behind the steering wheel of a vehicle traveling at 68 mph, the driver is asked to complete a simple task. This includes turning on the radio and tuning to a specific radio station, increasing the air conditioning temperature, resetting the travel computer, turning on heated seats, and other simple tasks. Drivers have a certain amount of time to familiarize themselves with the vehicle and then drive along a closed runway. This media measures the time required for the driver to complete the task and the distance traveled when completing the task.

As expected, the winning vehicle was the 2005 Volvo V70. Thisthe oldest car among them, but Vi Bil ä gar found that it is also the easiest to operate on a large scale. Drivers can easily complete four main tasks within 10 seconds. On the contrary, MG Marvel R completed all tasks in 44.6 seconds.

Compared to the V70, models such as the BMW iX (30.4 seconds), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (26.7 seconds), Volkswagen ID.3 (25.7 seconds), and Tesla Model 3 (23.5 seconds) have not performed well enough. According to the media's rating of the vehicle (ranging from 1 to 5 points, the higher the score, the easier it is to operate), the V70 has the highest score of 4.5 points, followed closely by iX (4.0 points), Ioniq 5 (3.5 points), ID.3 (2.25 points), and Model 3 (3.75 points), while Marvel R only has 2.5 points.

Vi Bil ä fare found that car manufacturers are working hard to reduce costs in different fields, which has brought more bad news. Brands such as Volkswagen and Seat offer touch sensitive controls on their cars, but some brands do not have backlighting and are almost impossible to use at night. In addition to providing physical control, car manufacturers are moving towards more advanced voice control systems, but this has not really played a good role. The speech recognition system may not be able to distinguish simple requests, understand commands, or use all functions.

Why is this so important? When you look down at the infotainment screen to change settings, you are not looking at the road. At a speed of 68 mph, the V70 traveled 1004 feet in 10 seconds. The driver of MG drove 4501 feet to complete four tasks. Therefore, ease of handling is of great significance as it allows drivers to focus their attention on the road, thereby improving safety.

Of course, there is also some good news. Vi Bil ä gare found that Dacia Sandero, Volvo C40, and Subaru Outback all have good infotainment systems and are relatively easy to use. The media claims that Sandero and C40's infotainment systems have limited functionality and are therefore easy to use.

Vi Bil ä game points out that car manufacturers want their cars to be seen as technological products, just like smartphones and tablets. In addition, thanks to the large screen, designers are more likely to achieve a "clean" cabin. Then comes the cost issue, to some extent, screens are more affordable than buttons because car manufacturers can integrate more functions on the screen and update them at any time. Therefore, although the security of touch screens is low and the interaction experience is not very good, they do exist.

Another new type of energy storage technology is on the road to commercialization!