Touch Screen Controls are a Danger

[st13phil]

I’ve long argued that the trend started by Tesla of moving control functions from tactile buttons, levers and switches to a touch screen that requires the driver to look at it to operate the control is dangerous, and it would seem that the German courts agree:

Tesla touchscreen wiper controls land driver with fine after crash

A driver using the touchscreen controls for windscreen wipers was distracted, a German court says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[markjay]

I’ve long argued that the trend started by Tesla of moving control functions from tactile buttons, levers and switches to a touch screen that requires the driver to look at it to operate the control is dangerous, and it would seem that the German courts agree:

Tesla touchscreen wiper controls land driver with fine after crash

A driver using the touchscreen controls for windscreen wipers was distracted, a German court says.

www.bbc.co.uk

I couldn't agree more.

I've known and said that a long time ago......

 

[markjay]

It also highlights a more general issue, which I have raised here before, and it's the fact that there's no ergonomically-tested standard for human-machine interface in a car. Instead, there's the unfounded assumption that anything the car manufacturer puts in the car is safe to use, even though it does not have to comply with any given safety or legal standards.

The de-facto situation (up to this court case) was that anything provided by the car manufacturer is legal to use. So you could navigate the menus on the Tesla to your heart's content with complete impunity, but touch your mobile phone and you get a fine.

Of course it is the driver's responsibility to be attentive to the road condition, but the point is that when the driver is using a mobile phone it's an automatic offense, but if the driver is playing with the farting seat controls on the Tesla's screen then it's only an offense if the court accepts that it amounts to 'driving without due care and attention', which on itself is a charge the driver will (in most cases) only face in the event of a serious crash.

What we need is a mandatory ergonomic standard as to how infotainment systems (and other driver-controlled systems) in the car are designed and how drivers should and shouldn't be interfacing with them.

 

[whitenemesis]

Perhaps such controls (not essential to the safe operation of the vehicle) be disabled once the car is in motion? I believe some countries already demand that of Sat Nav input?
A more robust and reliable voice control system might be an answer.
Bottom line is, unless there is an accident/serious incident, much in-car operations go completely uneventfully

 

[HB]

It’s so nice sometimes getting into the W203 or the Mark 6 Golf and just turning a knob to warm the car up Etc

 

[esscee]

A common sense decision, not enough people are paying due attention when driving as it is without the added distraction of "touchscreens". Be interesting to see what other Courts follow, the thoughts of our Supreme Court do not bear thinking about.

 

[markjay]

Perhaps such controls (not essential to the safe operation of the vehicle) be disabled once the car is in motion? I believe some countries already demand that of Sat Nav input?
A more robust and reliable voice control system might be an answer.
Bottom line is, unless there is an accident/serious incident, much in-car operations go completely uneventfully

I agree, but then this still leaves it to each manufacturer to decide what is acceptable and what us not, with the marketing department driving the the process - in the case of the Tesla the big LCD display was designed to be a head-turner. A mandatory legal framework will help them focus on what they can and cannot do.

 

[219]

Perhaps such controls (not essential to the safe operation of the vehicle) be disabled once the car is in motion? I believe some countries already demand that of Sat Nav input?
A more robust and reliable voice control system might be an answer.
Bottom line is, unless there is an accident/serious incident, much in-car operations go completely uneventfully

TomTom have done that for years - nothing can be programmed whilst in motion .

Re the Tesla , I’ve also said this ... but wait ! Aren’t Tesla’s meant to be autonomous vehicles ? How did it drive off the road and into trees ? Surely that ought not to be possible , and even if a driver has a heart attack , or deliberately drives at a bus queue , surely the safety devices should step in and override if an imminent crash is detected - even in manual mode .

Mercedes-Benz led the way with ergonomics, with individual controls for each function and which operated in a different way : the multi function stalk is a prime example , but then you only need look at the light switch , which has been the same at least since the 1950s and cannot be confused with the rocker switches only used for secondary functions , heater controls which all work in their own way and can be located by touch ...

Sadly , even MB have lost their way and have regressed with much of this nonsense too .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

With natural language voice commands it really isn’t necessary to be using the touch screens on the move. That’a a very recent thing though - like the touch screens - voice control in cars a few years old are poor by comparison, because the number of things which can be voice co trolled was limited and they were terrible at understanding what was being asked!

 

[219]

With natural language voice commands it really isn’t necessary to be using the touch screens on the move. That’a a very recent thing though - like the touch screens - voice control in cars a few years old are poor by comparison, because the number of things which can be voice co trolled was limited and they were terrible at understanding what was being asked!

Sometimes even I struggle with broad Glaswegian or Aberdonian Doric .

Not sure if the machine would know what scooshers are ?

It has to be said the technology has come on - these days Siri or Alexa seldom fail to understand, although my Bury carkits still say ‘pardon’ or just offer to call the wrong person .

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Agree. We have an 8” touch screen in our Mondeo that controls many many functions. It’s the only thing about the car I don’t like. Very dangerous to look at it momentarily whilst driving to try and change/adjust/set anything. Add into the equation bumps and undulations in the road and your hand is bouncing all over the place hitting the wrong thing.

 

[Eddy77]

Our 2019 A6 is touch everything. I can’t use it when driving. Impossible. So I spent some time to master voice command and use that instead. I dislike it intensely but it seems to be the way now. No touch screen is safe on the move. Learn how to interact with voice control.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

A few days ago we were in a 2014 car with Linguatronic. I said “Navigate to Exeter Centre” and Linguatronic replies “Calling the British Embassy in France”

More modern natural language recognition - like the latest generation (MBUX) would have got that right first time. It would have been much less funny though.

 

[whitenemesis]

A few days ago we were in a 2014 car with Linguatronic. I said “Navigate to Exeter Centre” and Linguatronic replies “Calling the British Embassy in France”

More modern natural language recognition - like the latest generation (MBUX) would have got that right first time. It would have been much less funny though.

I'm impressed it knew the number!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I'm impressed it knew the number!

Don’t be too impressed, it’s in my phone book! No matter what I ask, if in doubt it selects a random entry from my phone book!

 

[Scooby_Doo]

I like buttons and switches. I rarely use the phone in the car but the old MB system with the numeric keypad was much easier to use. The big drawback with the current system is when you need to chose a number option for a service you want. Disabled the touchpad controller on day 3 of ownership , what a waste of time.

 

[190]

You have to ask why cars like the Tesla obtained type approval when key safety functions are operated by the touch screen. There has been a failing in governments around the world for not questioning this trend. I hope this incident reigns in the head long rush for manufactures to put everything on a screen. Lets face it they are only doing so because it's cheaper. I doubt they would have the cheek to claim it was safer.

 

[Rashman]

Yup, agree, Phil, and all others that have posted the same.
I’ve always thought the same.
100x more distracting than a button you can feel with your fingers.
They spent a good while now, emphasising driver focus and design controls to be close at hand and on steering wheels.
Then they design things in such a way that force the driver to take eyes off road to check where their fingers are, or what they’re selecting on touchscreens etc.

Mind boggling.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I don't use the touchscreen in my car ever, don't like the fingerprint marks all over it.

 

[Deleted member 149005]

Perhaps the younger generation expect everything on a touch screen..

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