The interior of a modern car increasingly resembles a gadget or tablet rather than the traditional dashboard of a few years ago. Digital displays now occupy most — and in some cases all — of the space in front of the driver and front passenger. Many basic functions such as climate control, audio volume and seat adjustments are now controlled via touchscreens.
What is presented as technological progress can become a problem for both safety and ergonomics. In many models, physical switches have been dramatically reduced, removing the ability for drivers to execute simple actions with a single, glance‑free movement. Actions that used to be almost instinctive — like increasing temperature or turning off start‑stop — often now require a sequence of touches through screens, menus and submenus, and sometimes experience slow responses. The result: drivers spend more time looking at the dashboard and less time watching the road.
Tests carried out by independent organizations in Europe have recorded that operating a touchscreen for basic vehicle functions can distract a driver for more than 5 seconds. In that time, a car travelling at 110–120 km/h can cover more than 150 metres — effectively a "blind" distance with obvious dangers.
Automakers, however, have pushed the trend. Tesla was one of the first to remove nearly all physical controls from the cabin, leaving a single central screen. Other manufacturers followed, adding multiple displays, digital menus and features like app integration, games, entertainment and web browsing — functions that are clearly unrelated to safe driving.
This excess is beginning to prompt pushback. Volkswagen announced it will gradually reintroduce physical switches for basic functions in future models, implicitly admitting that a full transition to digital control was excessive. Volvo has also retained some classic buttons, such as a rotary volume knob.
In practice, technology needs limits — not only for safety, but for simplicity and usability. A car, no matter how electrified or advanced, is primarily a means of transport, not an entertainment screen. When routine operations require complicated menu navigation or when actions that used to be immediate now take several seconds to find, the design is failing.
Technological progress is necessary, but it should serve and not confuse the driver. Multiple screens may look impressive, but the primary role of a car is to transport driver and passengers safely.
