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Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

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Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#71

Post by tialaramex »

Ma8ee wrote: post #25
DoingIsLearning wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Awareness in my view is useless because touchscreens in auto infotainment are far more visually impressive so they will always be preferred from a buyer's perspective. What we need is to build a body of scientific evidence to support regulating Auto infotainment within some form of safety-critical guard rails. It is obvious that touch without mechanical/haptic feedback is dangerous both in terms of decreasing eyes-on…

> Awareness in my view is useless because touchscreens in auto infotainment are far more visually impressive so they will always be preferred from a buyer's perspective. Except that the HN audience also buys cars, and prefers something else. And we aren't that unique or exceptional.

All ordinary televisions are now advertising-filled garbage, technical people I know just don't buy televisions. If they need a display they buy either the panel or a projector. But if my mother or sister buy a television it will be advertising-filled garbage.

There is a tiny niche of people who care, and for some reason insist on buying a TV, as a result on a very small scale it is technically possible to buy a TV without built-in advertising - but it's a small enough niche that ordinary people aren't even really aware it's an option. Think medium format landscape camera in say the 1980s. Your parents (or grandparents if you're old enough) probably owned something that used standard cartridge film, they knew vaguely what an SLR was (even if not what "SLR" stands for) but they had no idea medium format landscape cameras even existed. If the local camera shop doesn't have them, they'd never notice.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#72

Post by Rury »

PaulHoule wrote: post #4

I am starting to wonder if the definition of a ‘luxury car’ in 2030 will be ‘no touchscreens’ and if economy cars will be chock full of cheap android devices just to shame the people who buy them into spending more to get a car with buttons and mechanical indicators.

Seems to happen often in business. Replace a feature people love, with something people don't want. Then later, return with that feature people used to love for extra profit.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#73

Post by Mikeb85 »

detrites wrote: post #61

2028: Study finds that cars without any human controls are safer than those with

When the whole transportation system is built to eliminate drivers then yes, it'll be safer. For now though, a driver in control is better than our flawed software.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#74

Post by dsfyu404ed »

DoingIsLearning wrote: post #24
everdrive wrote: post #9

As folks noted in the other thread on this topic: This is self-evident to most of the HN audience, but the more studies and more awareness is brought to this topic the likelier things are to improve.

Awareness in my view is useless because touchscreens in auto infotainment are far more visually impressive so they will always be preferred from a buyer's perspective. What we need is to build a body of scientific evidence to support regulating Auto infotainment within some form of safety-critical guard rails. It is obvious that touch without mechanical/haptic feedback is dangerous both in terms of decreasing eyes-on…

Regulating is how we got here. They put the screens in to serve backup cameras. Once you need to have a screen somewhere why not make it replace all the stuff?

Engineers love it because less moving parts, fewer parts. Software loves it because ship garbage now fix with updated version later. Designers love it because "clean lines and crap". Marketing loves it because high tech. Bean counters love it for all the above reasons.

The only thing (touch)screens aren't is cheaper and better but once everyone is mandated to have them that all goes out the window.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#75

Post by ajross »

afandian wrote: post #36
PreInternet01 wrote: post #17

I would love to see some EU legislation about car dashboards. As an occasional driver of many different brands and types of vehicles, I continue to be amazed at the usability crimes being committed in the name of 'looking cool' (stated reason) as well as 'cost savings' (most likely the real reason). Any function that needs to be invoked or setting that needs to be changed by a reasonable person while driving should h…

In the Tesla FSD video[0] the driver spent a lot of time swiping back and forth on the map. If that touchscreen were an iPad, that behaviour would be illegal in the UK. I don't know what the road law is in the US, and if they sell the same Tesla model in the UK. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34268454

What's the proper control to use for interacting with a navigation aid in the UK? Or are you saying that UK law forbids in-car maps?

These arguments always end up in this kind of hyper-specific realm where they seem to apply only to Tesla's particular design choices. But, in car maps are everywhere now (and, yes, Tesla's implementation is by far the best), and the natural way you use them is with touch. They absolutely make finding your way around easier and safer.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#76

Post by kylec »

cainxinth wrote: post #63

I liked what Ford did with its new Mach-E. They literally glued a physical knob to the touchscreen: https://electrek.co/2023/01/06/ford-finds-unique-knob-contro...

It's better than nothing, but I would prefer more physical controls than a single volume knob

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#77

Post by dsfyu404ed »

goda90 wrote: post #5

Will regulators act on this? I really want them to, but I feel like they won't and we'll continue to see a trend of car makers taking the cheap route and doing touch screens. At least it feels that way wherever I look into an evening l exciting EV. What do the choices look like in the new car market these days?

Touch screens are only the cheap route so long as you are required to have a backup camera.

If you're gonna spend the resources to put a screen in the cost conscious way to do that is to use it for everything you possibly can.

Look at 3rd world cars. No screens.

Re: Study finds that buttons in cars are safer and quicker to use than touchscreens

#79

Post by ht85 »

ajross wrote: post #75
afandian wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Tesla FSD video[0] the driver spent a lot of time swiping back and forth on the map. If that touchscreen were an iPad, that behaviour would be illegal in the UK. I don't know what the road law is in the US, and if they sell the same Tesla model in the UK. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34268454

What's the proper control to use for interacting with a navigation aid in the UK? Or are you saying that UK law forbids in-car maps? These arguments always end up in this kind of hyper-specific realm where they seem to apply only to Tesla's particular design choices. But, in car maps are everywhere now (and, yes, Tesla's implementation is by far the best), and the natural way you use them is with touch. They absolute…

> What's the proper control to use for interacting with a navigation

1. Voice control

2. Pull over

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