Growing safety concerns in Europe and China are driving a shift away from touchscreen-dominated car interiors, potentially forcing automakers to reintroduce physical controls for essential functions—even without direct regulatory action in the United States. This change isn’t about preference, but about safety ratings and market access.
Europe Leads the Charge
EuroNCAP, the influential European vehicle safety body, now requires physical buttons or switches for critical functions like turn signals, wipers, hazard lights, horns, and emergency SOS systems. Vehicles failing to comply automatically lose a star in their safety rating.
This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a hard rule. Automakers have a three-year window to adjust if they want to maintain top scores. While EuroNCAP isn’t a regulator, its ratings heavily influence consumer choices and manufacturer priorities.
China Follows Suit
China is taking an even stronger stance, considering rules mandating physical buttons at least 10mm x 10mm for core functions. This includes turn signals, emergency calling, and gear selection. The goal? To minimize driver distraction and ensure basic controls are accessible without menu diving.
This could directly impact Tesla, whose Model 3 and Model Y rely heavily on touchscreens for even essential features like gear selection. While functional, these systems raise concerns about usability in critical situations.
Why It Matters
The trend toward physical controls isn’t about resisting technology; it’s about human-machine interaction. Studies show that drivers take their eyes off the road longer when manipulating touchscreens than when using physical buttons. This increased cognitive load raises crash risks.
“The EU’s voluntary guidelines are not working because current touchscreens and infotainment systems are distracting and unsafe,” says Frank Mütze of the European Transport Safety Council. “EuroNCAP requiring physical controls for some functions is a welcome step in the right direction.”
Global Implications
The combined pressure from the European and Chinese markets is likely to ripple across the industry. Automakers rarely engineer unique interiors for each region. If these standards become widespread, physical buttons may return to vehicles globally, not by consumer demand, but by economic necessity.
The shift highlights a growing recognition that safety must outweigh design trends in vehicle development. While some manufacturers may resist, the long-term financial implications of lower safety ratings could prove too costly to ignore.
