Many new cars feature touchscreens – but it seems most drivers actually prefer physical buttons.
A new survey has revealed that more than half (51 per cent) of UK drivers wish cars still used physical dials for key functions.
Conducted by Scrap Car Comparison, the survey quizzed 1,000 British drivers about their views on touchscreen infotainment and control systems.
The results revealed how touchscreens are making even the most basic tasks a struggle for many drivers.
Entering a sat nav destination was deemed the most distracting touchscreen task, with 41 per cent of drivers finding this difficult to do while driving.
Others battle to change the music, while some say even adjusting the volume is a struggle.
‘If you can, handing the task to a passenger is honestly one of the best things you can do,’ Scrap Car Comparison advised.
‘If a task can wait, or someone else in the car can do it, that’s a much safer choice than trying to do it yourself at speed.’
Many new cars feature touchscreens – but it seems most drivers actually prefer physical buttons (stock image)
When drivers do get distracted by their touchscreens, there can be dangerous repercussions
For the survey, the team quizzed a sample of 1,000 British drivers with cars fitted with a touchscreen.
Over half (51 per cent) said they wish car manufacturers still used physical buttons, while 54 per cent agreed that touchscreens make it harder to complete simple tasks quickly.
And for many drivers, touchscreens actually shape what they buy.
Forty-two per cent said they’ve avoided buying or leasing a car because its main controls are only accessible via a touchscreen, while 25 per cent chose a different model or brand entirely.
As part of the survey, participants were also asked about the touchscreen tasks they find the most distracting.
Entering a sat nav destination (41 per cent) tops the list, ahead of changing the music (29 per cent), answering or making a phone call (26 per cent), and adjusting the temperature (26 per cent).
When drivers do get distracted by their touchscreens, there can be dangerous repercussions.
Twenty–one per cent of respondents say they’ve swerved to correct their lane position, while 13 per cent have had a near–miss with another vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian.
‘More seriously still, 11% have been in a minor collision, and one in 10 drivers have been in a more serious collision as a result,’ Scrap Car Comparison said.
The survey comes amid a growing call from experts to ditch the unnecessary tech and return to a traditional dashboard with physical buttons.
The issue is that touchscreen interfaces require drivers to look away from the road for unacceptably long periods of time to control basic functions.
While that might be fine for features like reversing cameras and navigation, this becomes a real problem when you need to click through a menu to turn on the windscreen wipers.
Dr Milad Haghani, a safety expert from the University of Melbourne, told the Daily Mail: ‘This is the dangerous combination and a recipe for significant levels of distraction.’
