27 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

"Today's high-tech cars are proving an increasingly distracting danger to UK motorists, road safety experts have warned.
And it is being fuelled by the growing trend by manufacturers to scrap traditional push-button knobs, switches and dials on car dashboards and replace them with large computer-tablet-style touchscreens.
Designers love it because it clears the dashboard of, as they see it, unnecessary 'clutter' to create a clean, minimalist look. Industry bean-counters love it because it cuts costs by removing switches and wiring in favour of an iPad-style dashboard run by downloadable software.
The trend, arguably started by Elon Musk's pioneering Tesla brand, is now accelerating rapidly among rival mainstream manufacturers all rushing towards all-electric cars.
This issue is causing real debate — at a time when merely touching a hand-held mobile phone while driving will land you with six penalty points on your licence and a £200 fine (and if, within two years of passing your test, will cost you your licence).
Arguably touchscreens can be just as distracting, if not more so, than mobiles, and the optional voice control is far from perfect.
If you've not encountered this issue yet, when it's time for a newer model, you may be in for a shock..."
https://www.thisismo...ald-danger.html

 

And in the USA....
Automakers Are Bringing Back Buttons and Knobs as Touch Screens Become Scourge for Drivers.
"For the consumer who wants a simple dashboard of buttons and knobs inside their car, the kind that everyone used to have before the rise of touchscreens, a few automakers are turning back the calendar to the days of tactile controls after a steady eruption of consumer frustration.
As soon as smartphones became popular, the US Dept. of Transportation was publicizing information about the dangers of texting and driving. States also rapidly began passing laws that determined the fines for being caught texting and driving as well as slotting questions about the dangerous multitasking into driving exams.
Yet for all this, since 2010 automakers joined in unison in essentially mandating the use of iPads in our cars.
Despite what the name implies, a touchscreen relies entirely on the eyes to use owing to the lack of tactile feedback. As car makers began to take what was first just for the radio and nav tech and add more and more features, they became more and more dangerous to use in the car, while also becoming more and more necessary for anything other than a barebones driving experience.
Think this might be an overstatement?
The 2023 Porsche Cayenne came with a touchscreen dashboard, a touchscreen infotainment system as optional for the passenger seat as well, a touchscreen layout around the gear selector, and, if you can believe it, an optional set of touchscreens on the steering wheel itself."
https://www.goodnews...ge-for-drivers/

Edited by mab01uk, 26 November 2023 - 04:05 PM.

[Shooter63]

Got to say I totally agree with the above, I can't stand anything with a touch screen and cars are the worst, go over a bump and you've gone from phoning the Mrs to ordering an Indian takeaway, go over another bump and you've just booked the car in for a service, if the sun's in the wrong direction you can't see what you're vaguely groping for, all this time you've trying to keep your eyes on the road.

Shooter

[coopertaz]

agree it seems ludicrous that you are ok to prob around menus and sub menus to change a/c temp but not even glance at a phone screen

[stuart bowes]

so what we're saying is when we're groping around at random while driving we'd all prefer to feel a nice big knob

 

</smut> 

 

no but seriously a lot of these things especially in newer cars are also voice command, so as long as that works well it shouldn't bee too much of an issue.  and the screen probably comes up with a warning 'don't touch when driving' just to cover their own arses.. I put a touchscreen in the volvo and when I'm connected to android auto you just say 'hey google' and you can navigate to .... phone... , play ...., all totally fine

 

but there's really no excuse for touchscreen for AC controls that one does annoy me 

[coopertaz]

voice command in my ford does do some weird things, at least has buttons on steering wheel for radio etc.

[stuart bowes]

true, the basic volume and next / previous is a lot easier on the button

[humph]

As a driver of one of the offending Teslas, I'm in both camps. What I mean by this is I've never been a fan of touchscreens as the car tends to go where you're pointing and your eyes are off the road, but the Tesla is pretty good at voice commands so I rarely use the screen whilst driving**. I'd prefer to have buttons for the important functions that you may need to change whilst driving, that said I haven't bought any of the many aftermarket button solutions to date. At the end of the day the screen itself isn't necessarily the big issue, it's the poor software interfaces some manufacturers are using, with layers of menus with critical things like fog lights at the bottom level below stuff like entertainment. Another other issue is the angle of the screen i.e. my Tesla has a fixed screen making it a long reach away meaning you move your body to reach the top left corner, the car wanders. I have fitted a swivel mount that turns it towards me and operation is much closer, easier and precise.

 

**There are some very obvious missings here, for example I can say "my ar$e is cold" and it'll turn the heated seats on, but there are no commands for switching lights on and off.

 

Personally the best system I've used is the BMW/MINI idrive system where you can navigate via the central control wheel.

[Midas Mk1]

Less is more, have drove with stalkless controls several times now, a doddle to get used to. 

[Bobbins]

**There are some very obvious missings here, for example I can say "my ar$e is cold" and it'll turn the heated seats on, but there are no commands for switching lights on and off.

Have you tried the “open butt hole” command yet? Seriously, it’ll open the charge flap! And “close butt ….”, yes you get the idea!!!

[Bobbins]

To add .... I drive a Tesla Model 3 as my daily, it's more extreme than most when it comes to having only touchscreen for controls and some of it I really like, some aspects I hate with a passion. Multiple menu options for controls that really should be just a single button or column stalk are annoying but are clearly part of the design cycle to make everything automatic, great if it works but lousy if it doesn't.

 

The reality though is that worrying about the increase in touchscreens in cars as a safety issue is way off the mark when so little concern is raised about driving standards. My daily commute is nearly an hour each way with 80% motorway and the number of drivers I see texting, cutting across multiple lanes, forcing their way into gaps, aggressive tailgating and other dangerous manoeuvres is astounding, and the HGV drivers are virtually as bad. Arrogant driving and lack of care and attention is normal but it seems nobody relevant in authority actually cares. 

[coopertaz]

To add .... I drive a Tesla Model 3 as my daily, it's more extreme than most when it comes to having only touchscreen for controls and some of it I really like, some aspects I hate with a passion. Multiple menu options for controls that really should be just a single button or column stalk are annoying but are clearly part of the design cycle to make everything automatic, great if it works but lousy if it doesn't.

 

The reality though is that worrying about the increase in touchscreens in cars as a safety issue is way off the mark when so little concern is raised about driving standards. My daily commute is nearly an hour each way with 80% motorway and the number of drivers I see texting, cutting across multiple lanes, forcing their way into gaps, aggressive tailgating and other dangerous manoeuvres is astounding, and the HGV drivers are virtually as bad. Arrogant driving and lack of care and attention is normal but it seems nobody relevant in authority actually cares. 

totally agree about driving standards but to say touchscreen safety issues way off the mark!! no. you mention texting while driving is this not the same as tapping around on a screen out of eye line with the road? on older cars the screen was at the top of the dash so in eye line but as they have become bigger are now lower down, my point was that they are as bad as using the mobile phone. a point on tesla voice commands love the butt hole one but you can tell interface is american, what happened to the good old english bottom

[stuart bowes]

haha someone with a tesla please try 'my bottom is chilly' and see what happens 

[Bobbins]

Having experienced the Tesla touch screen (over 80,000 miles now), as much as I dislike many aspects of it it's nothing that would be comparable to using a phone touchscreen in any way. It's a pre-determined set of controls with touch "buttons" that are of a size appropriate to using on the move. I object to some actions being done through the touchscreen but if well designed it should be no less safe than having a car with multiples of individual buttons.

[humph]

 

a point on tesla voice commands love the butt hole one but you can tell interface is american, what happened to the good old english bottom

 

 
Thankfully Tesla does recognise that we’re not all American and will accept arse, bum or bottom as an alternative to butt.

 

When I collected the car in August last year voice commands were virtually useless unless you could muster a semi decent American accent, then a few months later an over the air update added British English. Now it’s impressively good even following complicated nav destinations and Google searches.

[Steam]

What is a touchscreen?