90% of Drivers Dislike Touch Screens; EuroNCAP Calls for the Return of Physical Buttons

【PCauto】Central touchscreen displays and touch interfaces have seemingly become synonymous with technological sophistication and high-end features in vehicles. However, the safety issues arising from this trend are becoming increasingly evident.

Recently, the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP) announced a new regulation: starting January 2026, if automakers want their vehicles to achieve the highest five-star safety rating, they must provide independent, easy-to-operate physical buttons, knobs and other traditonal features for five essential safety functions, including turn signals and hazard lights. Reliance on digital interaction interfaces will be strictly prohibited.

Matthew Avery, EuroNCAP’s Director of Strategic Development, stated bluntly, "All automakers must take note—physical buttons must return."

Currently, many automakers are integrating a large number of key control functions into central touchscreens in pursuit of a so-called technological aesthetic and minimalist design. From adjusting the air conditioning temperature and switching radio channels to activating seat heating, drivers frequently divert their gaze from the road, looking down at the screen while driving.

A startling experiment conducted by a Swedish agency revealed that completing a series of tasks—including "adjusting the air conditioning temperature, switching radio channels, and activating seat heating"—took significantly longer in all-touchscreen vehicles compared to older models equipped with physical buttons. This distraction while driving poses a potential risk akin to the sword of Damocles dangling over the driver's head, potentially leading to severe traffic accidents at any moment.

The implementation of this new regulation will have profound impact for automakers' product designs. Some manufacturers have already begun to respond; Volkswagen's chief designer, Andreas Mindt, announced that starting with the new ID.2, all Volkswagen models will feature at least four physical buttons below the central touchscreen, and the steering wheel will fully adopt physical buttons.

For automotive industry, EuroNCAP's new regulations may serve as a pivotal turning point. In the past, vehicle design seemed to be caught in a dilemma between intelligence and safety: an excessive focus on intelligent features often sacrificed driving safety, while a strong emphasis on safety might lead to a perception of being "insufficiently high-tech."

Now, the new regulations have clarified the design direction for the industry: future intelligent cockpits should not be solely reliant on a full touchscreen layout but should embrace a hybrid model of "physical buttons + touchscreen."

By delegating high-frequency functions to physical buttons, manufacturers can ensure that drivers can quickly operate them without becoming distracted. Low-frequency settings can remain on the touchscreen, catering to user demands for personalization and intelligent features. This design strikes a perfect balance between technological appeal and driving safety.

Moreover, this new regulation has received heavy resonations with consumers. Surveys show that over 90% of drivers express significant dissatisfaction with touchscreens in vehicles, arguing that embedding core control functions deep within touchscreen menus makes operations overly complicated, which in turn leads to distractions and substantial safety risks while driving.

EuroNCAP's new regulation is undoubtedly a positive response to consumer concerns, placing driving safety back at the forefront of automotive design.