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Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

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Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#81
post #77
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Might be fine for non-critical entertainment systems which nowadays also take voice control, but never critical vehicle functions. Things like hazard lights and HVAC should be illegal to be on touch screens.

> Might be fine for non-critical entertainment systems which nowadays also take voice control As someone who uses a lot of greasy sunscreen lotion during long sunny-day drives: no, they still aren't. I don't want to talk to my car in the first place, and it probably couldn't hear me anyway with the music loud and the windows down.

Owner of a 2017 Peugeot 208 with Apple CarPlay support here. Siri can discriminate voices against loud music and outside noise just fine.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#83
post #12

My newer car has a touch screen for the radio channels, and I experience frequent difficulty changing the channels. This becomes impossible when I'm wearing gloves, which of course is often in a Midwest winter.

Sounds like we need to update the meme. Designed by young engineers in California for use by young engineers in California.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#84
post #36

We should NOT have touch screen interfaces in cars. Full stop. If the driver has to divert their gaze from the road to operate e.g. the heating/AC[0], that is a failure of UX sufficiently egregious to keep the car off the road. It is not a toy, it is not a fashion statement, it is a thousand pound chunk of steel that will indiscriminately kill and maim if not operated with care and diligence. [0] This is the complain…

that's the issue with industries like this.. no one asked for touchscreen controls, but they're cheaper and make the manufacturers more money. no one asked for their private conversations to be recorded and sold, but that juicy data is profitable. it's not like people can stop buying cars until the situation improves. joe q public can't be expected to start a grassroots movement and go lobby, he needs to get to work…

If business is unable to self-regulate, it is the job of government to step in and force them to correct.

Unfortunately for us, government has largely failed in its official capacities and responsibilities, nearly all of them, and so things will continue breaking until loss of life and limb becomes common, where no one can sit on the sidelines any more if they want to survive.

This is what happens when corrupt people are allowed to warp existing systems for personal gain, and cannot be removed except in egregious violations of law.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#85
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve not used the mouse pointer but the previous models had a rotary encoder which is easier to work with. What isn’t mentioned is that there are hardware controls on the steering wheel for volume, next previous etc so you don’t need to interact with things very much

Hardware controls are not useful if you listen to lots of audiobooks/podcasts/etc.

> Hardware controls are not useful if you listen to lots of audiobooks/podcasts/etc.

Presently, that's what I exclusively listen to. I get in my car and the narration auto-starts where it left off. I occasionally adjust the physical volume knob. I tweak the library at home every couple of months.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#86

We should NOT have touch screen interfaces in cars. Full stop. If the driver has to divert their gaze from the road to operate e.g. the heating/AC[0], that is a failure of UX sufficiently egregious to keep the car off the road. It is not a toy, it is not a fashion statement, it is a thousand pound chunk of steel that will indiscriminately kill and maim if not operated with care and diligence. [0] This is the complain…

100% this. The good news is that we're in the majority. The bad news is hardly anything seems to be done about it. Maybe we should push back more? I'd happily "vote with my wallet" but it seems all the major auto manufacturers are going this route. Sad.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I much prefer physical buttons, I do think gestures could be made to work.

Tactile feedback is still a big issue with gestures. With a physical button you can feel that you have hit the button, can easily find it by touch if you missed it, and you can feel that you successfully actuated it. All of those are difficult on touch surfaces. Not insurmountable, but you have to put a lot of effort into things you get for free with physical interfaces

That's true, especially with haptic feedback being unviable in a car.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#88
post #36

We should NOT have touch screen interfaces in cars. Full stop. If the driver has to divert their gaze from the road to operate e.g. the heating/AC[0], that is a failure of UX sufficiently egregious to keep the car off the road. It is not a toy, it is not a fashion statement, it is a thousand pound chunk of steel that will indiscriminately kill and maim if not operated with care and diligence. [0] This is the complain…

that's the issue with industries like this.. no one asked for touchscreen controls, but they're cheaper and make the manufacturers more money. no one asked for their private conversations to be recorded and sold, but that juicy data is profitable. it's not like people can stop buying cars until the situation improves. joe q public can't be expected to start a grassroots movement and go lobby, he needs to get to work…

If people did not buy cars with touch screens when they started to get introduced, they would be gone by now. But they seem to be accepted by new car buyers which is the market that matters to manufacturers.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#89
post #51
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We shouldn't have 89-year-old drivers in cars, either. Full stop. In my city we've had three pedestrian fatalities in less than a year and all the drivers were aged 79 or older.

Mandatory regular (every 5-10 years) driving tests seem like a no-brainer regardless of age. Also seems like the driving tests should be more stringent.

Yes a million times to this! It is crazy that you never have to retake your drivers license.

Re: Older adults disproportionately hindered by touch screen interfaces (2023)

#90
post #12

My newer car has a touch screen for the radio channels, and I experience frequent difficulty changing the channels. This becomes impossible when I'm wearing gloves, which of course is often in a Midwest winter.

A guy I work with had some Dodge compact car and he said the touchscreen wouldn't even function (as in no video) until the car warmed up.
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