EuroNCAP to deduct from test scores if cars lack physical buttons for "basic functions"

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arstechnica.com

European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls

In 2026, Euro NCAP points will be deducted if some controls aren't physical.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com

"The overuse of touchscreens is an industry-wide problem, with almost every vehicle-maker moving key controls onto central touchscreens, obliging drivers to take their eyes off the road and raising the risk of distraction crashes," said Matthew Avery, Euro NCAP's director of strategic development.

"New Euro NCAP tests due in 2026 will encourage manufacturers to use separate, physical controls for basic functions in an intuitive manner, limiting eyes-off-road time and therefore promoting safer driving," he said.

Now, Euro NCAP is not insisting on everything being its own button or switch. But the organization wants to see physical controls for turn signals, hazard lights, windshield wipers, the horn, and any SOS features like the European Union's eCall feature.
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Extra extra points for window winders like I have in my car. Bring those back. ;)

On a serious note, do some of these buttonless cars have voice activation for signals and such(wipers, doors)?
 
While the safety aspect is a definite valid point, there's also long-term usability too. Eventually those touchscreens will stop working, automakers aren't likely to be keeping large stocks of them when they keep changing their size every couple years and suppliers stop making the electronics inside them, and you can't easily get an affordable third party component replacement like you can with physical controls. There's going to be a lot of otherwise perfectly functioning cars that run the risk of being rendered useless after their model year is discontinued because basic safety features will have been made inoperable due to this.
 

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