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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

#311

Post by kwhitefoot »

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…

I use voice commands in situations where I feel that touching the screen would be dangerous. But I can also use the steering wheel scroll wheels for many functions like answering the phone, changing cabin temperature, adjusting media volume, etc. Cruise control, gear selection, wipers are all on stalks that are just a few centimetres from the steering wheel. No need for an array of buttons that I would have to move my hands from the steering wheel to use.

The very last thing I want is some authority forcing the car makers to fill the dashboard with buttons or require some ghastly centre console.

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

#312

Post by phpisthebest »

klyrs wrote: post #233
phpisthebest wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are included on Airplanes because you need those to make a safe stop (aka Landing) you DO NOT need a speedometer or any dash display at all to safely pull a car to the side of the road and stop. Therefore they should not be mandated under safety regulation, if you have a car with a digital display and it fails you pull your car to the side of the road, put on your hazards and call for a tow to the mechanic Just…

Given that it's unsafe to drive too fast and "too fast" depends greatly on the specific road you're driving on and weather conditions, speedometers are safety equipment.

In those cases speed dependent on driving condition is a feeling based on the experience of the driver. Speedometer does not help you there.

If you do not have a feeling for the safety under which you are operating, then perhaps you should not be driving in the first place? Which I believe that is the underlying problem here, We are too lax with whom we issue driving licenses too.

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

#313

Post by HPsquared »

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…

Phone holder.

The law only applies to using a device held in your hand while driving.

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

#315

Post by kwhitefoot »

bitexploder wrote: post #33
zackkitzmiller wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ICE vs Electric has nothing to do with buttons vs touchscreens.

We ditched our Tesla in favor of an e-tron because the Tesla controls were just not good. you should never need a touch screen for safety critical features like wipers. Also the whole touch screen can and did crash intermittently. The car will still works (e: when the touchscreen is down) but it is unsafe IMO. e-tron has traditional controls everywhere.

> you should never need a touch screen for safety critical features like wipers.

I have Model S. The wipers are controlled by a traditional stalk on the left of the steering column. Is it different in other models?

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

#316

Post by pleb_nz »

cs702 wrote: post #18

The actual "study" (really, an unscientific test) is here: https://www.vibilagare.se/english/physical-buttons-outperfor... At home we have both traditional vehicles with lots of knobs, and vehicles (Tesla) with mainly touchscreen buttons and voice commands. My personal experience: * It takes at least a few weeks to become familiar enough with the touchscreen buttons and voice commands that they become second-nature.…

I've had three incidents with touch controls that would not have happened with physical controls. The fact is, it's much harder to keep your eyes on the road and be certain you've pressed a button when you have nothing to touch but a cold piece of screen. How do you know for sure you touched the right part of the screen and performed an action, without looking at the touchscreen and taking your eyes of the road?

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

#318

Post by ajross »

HPsquared wrote: post #313
ajross wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Phone holder. The law only applies to using a device held in your hand while driving.

You're saying the law allows a touch screen to be used if it's secured with a "holder" but not if it's.... bolted to the console at the factory?

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

#319

Post by dkjaudyeqooe »

phpisthebest wrote: post #104
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…

>>I would love to see some EU legislation Why does the EU believe every facet of life needs to be ordered and control by government regulation, is there any area of life at all in the EU that should be free from government interference? That is an honest question because every time anything comes up the first response from citizens of the EU is to declare government should be the right and proper resolution to the pr…

Your comment is ideological nonsense.

You don't mention purpose or outcomes at all, just "ordered and control by government" and "interference".

Obviously it comes down to government competence but the EU has shown itself to be mostly competent.

Government regulations are a last resort, not the first as you insinuate.

An example is roaming charges. The EU warned phone companies that it would regulate in the absence of reforms. They did nothing and the EU rolled out regulations that have benefited everyone who uses a phone across borders at almost no additional cost. Very inexpensive plans are still available as always (for example I have a 2.65 euro plan that gives me 1GB of data each month, with full EU roaming).

In respect to cars, if there are safety regulations that err on the side of being a bit onerous, then so be it, but there's no evidence they are problematic.

An example is my 2016 Kia Rio. I paid approximately $12,500 (about 11,000 euros at the time). The EU mandates that all new cars must have tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock braking and stability control. Because this is existing, mature technology the added cost to the car is marginal, and very cheap cars are still available, such as my Kia.

Meanwhile, those car features have definitely saved my life on 4 separate occasions.

Free markets are not some panacea for the world's ills. They work well in most cases but since there is no perfect market there will always be market regulation. The extent and the development of smart regulations requires good goverment, and that's where our responsibility to be politically engaged comes in. Government is a tool like any other, imperfect as it is, but we can influence its form.

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

#320

Post by nonethewiser »

messe wrote: post #120
phpisthebest wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>I would love to see some EU legislation Why does the EU believe every facet of life needs to be ordered and control by government regulation, is there any area of life at all in the EU that should be free from government interference? That is an honest question because every time anything comes up the first response from citizens of the EU is to declare government should be the right and proper resolution to the pr…

Generally, it only tends to come up in any area where the market seems to be failing consumers. This is interpreted as an externality that the market doesn't account for (in this case consumer safety, in the case of USB-C charging e-waste), which regulations are then introduced to correct for.

Failing consumers isnt an externality.
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