Carmakers like VW are bringing back buttons because drivers loathe all the touch

[ZLoth]

From Slate:

The Glorious Return of a Humble Car Feature
Automakers are starting to admit that drivers hate touchscreens. Buttons are back!

You don't see a lot of good[/i] news about road safety in the United States. Unlike in most peer countries, American roadway deaths surged during the pandemic and have barely receded since. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities recently hit their highest levels in 40 years, but U.S. transportation officials continue to ignore key contributing factors. In a February interview with Fast Company, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that "further research"  is needed before addressing the obvious risks that oversized SUVs and trucks pose to those not inside of them.

Happily, there is one area where we are making at least marginal progress: A growing number of automakers are backpedaling away from the huge, complex touchscreens that have infested dashboard design over the past 15 years. Buttons and knobs are coming back.

The touchscreen pullback is the result of consumer backlash, not the enactment of overdue regulations or an awakening of corporate responsibility. Many drivers want buttons, not screens, and they've given carmakers an earful about it. Auto executives have long brushed aside safety concerns about their complex displays–and all signs suggest they would have happily kept doing so. But their customers are revolting, which has forced them to pay attention.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

As I see it, the touchscreens came into being as a side effect of making backup cameras mandatory about a decade ago. My next vehicle better have Android Auto compatibility. Having said that, there are good solid safety reasons to have climate and audio controls with a tactile feel that have one job and one job only whether it be climate control or audio control.

[vdeane]

As I see it, the touchscreens came into being as a side effect of making backup cameras mandatory about a decade ago.

My 2014 Civic has a backup camera, but no touchscreen.

[kphoger]

As I see it, the touchscreens came into being as a side effect of making backup cameras mandatory about a decade ago.

My 2014 Civic has a backup camera, but no touchscreen.

Same in my '09 Traverse, although the display is in the rearview mirror.

[kalvado]

Probably a requirement for display is combined with availability of touch screen displays for phones and tablets. I do have a touch screen, and even have to use it once in a while. Good thing that climate control and sound volume are not on that screen, though.

[kphoger]

I do have a touch screen, and even have to use it once in a while. Good thing that climate control and sound volume are not on that screen, though.

Oh, totally.  The only car I've used with a touchscreen was a rental.  We drove up to Minnesota for Christmas in that vehicle.  One morning, I went out to scrape off the car and turn on the defroster while it was —19°F outside.  I thought the climate control wasn't working, because I would tap the screen and nothing would change.  Then I eventually realized the plasma screen just took for.........................ever to refresh its display due to the cold.

[abefroman329]

I do have a touch screen, and even have to use it once in a while. Good thing that climate control and sound volume are not on that screen, though.

Oh, totally.  The only car I've used with a touchscreen was a rental.  We drove up to Minnesota for Christmas in that vehicle.  One morning, I went out to scrape off the car and turn on the defroster while it was —19°F outside.  I thought the climate control wasn't working, because I would tap the screen and nothing would change.  Then I eventually realized the plasma screen just took for.........................ever to refresh its display due to the cold.

The touchscreen in my soon-to-be-ex-MIL's Mazda SUV barely responds, ever, but the fallback option is a giant knob you can turn that will cycle through all the options that you normally have on the touchscreen.

[hbelkins]

Can I please opt out of a rear screen viewer for my next vehicle purchase? Along with most of the rest of the bells and whistles?

[JayhawkCO]

Can I please opt out of a rear screen viewer for my next vehicle purchase? Along with most of the rest of the bells and whistles?

If you buy an old used car, sure.

[thspfc]

Could anyone give a logical explanation for their hatred of backup cameras?

[SSOWorld]

Could anyone give a logical explanation for their hatred of backup cameras?

Logic has nothing to do with it.

Can I please opt out of a rear screen viewer for my next vehicle purchase? Along with most of the rest of the bells and whistles?

nope - unless you want a 2009 car..

[ZLoth]

Can I please opt out of a rear screen viewer for my next vehicle purchase?

No. About half of model year 2012 automobiles were equipped with backup cameras. On March 31, 2014, three years past its deadline, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would require all automobiles sold in the United States built beginning in May 2018 to include backup cameras.

Could anyone give a logical explanation for their hatred of backup cameras?

"Another freaking unwanted electric gizmo to malfunction and stick me with an expensive repair bill"?

Along with most of the rest of the bells and whistles?

What "bells and whistles" are you disliking?

[Max Rockatansky]

Button, button, who's got the button?

[zachary_amaryllis]

I say do it in a semi-Linux-y way.
Don't hardcode anything to anything, let the vehicle owner set up his display, and route things to physical buttons as desired. You could have a set of 'user-configurable' switches on the dash. So if you wanted your a/c to operate from 'switch a' ... just set it up that way.

I'm probably way oversimplifying this.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Everything old is new again.....

[SectorZ]

My Mazda's touchscreen only works when not moving, otherwise buttons and a dial control its use. To this day in 7 years I don't think I've ever touched the screen.

Besides, who wants to look at a fingerprint-laden shitted-up screen when you can just other means to control it.

Any new car that the infotainment only works via a touchscreen is a hard no for me.

[JoePCool14]

I sure hope buttons and knobs make a comeback. All touchscreen controls in cars is a terrible, terrible decision. My daily driver has a good balance. I have CarPlay with touchscreen, but there are still buttons to access things like the radio or settings, and knobs for things like volume control. Climate control is also available via physical buttons separate from the infotainment system.

It's actually exceptionally good in my opinion, and I give props to the engineers at Volkswagen who designed it.

[abefroman329]

"Another freaking unwanted electric gizmo to malfunction and stick me with an expensive repair bill" ?

If it breaks and you don't use it, then you can easily avoid the expensive repair bill by not getting it fixed.

[J N Winkler]

Could anyone give a logical explanation for their hatred of backup cameras?

I wouldn't describe myself as having a "hatred" for them, but in many cases I think they are a poor trade for the reduced DLO (due to side pillar trim being wider to accommodate airbags) of newer cars.  Backup cameras that display their video feeds on a console-mounted screen also take the driver's eyes away from the natural sightlines that are still available even with restricted DLO, and to the extent that these are not monitored by cameras, this can be a critical safety issue.

My current daily driver, a 1994 Saturn SL2, is far too old to have cameras of any kind but does have excellent DLO.  With good parking protocols (mainly parking nose-out whenever remotely practicable), I have no problems whatsoever.

[ran4sh]

Could anyone give a logical explanation for their hatred of backup cameras?

Dumbs things down for newer drivers, although I guess the alternative of being more stringent with licensing requirements is not an option in the USA with so many people dependent on having to drive everywhere.

[thspfc]

"Another freaking unwanted electric gizmo to malfunction and stick me with an expensive repair bill" ?

If it breaks and you don't use it, then you can easily avoid the expensive repair bill by not getting it fixed.

Exactly. Such a weird hill to die on.

Basically the argument I'm hearing is "well, I did just fine backing up before cameras!!"  To which I would respond, 1) nobody cares, 2) you aren't required to use the camera, and 3) many people actually do find it helpful.

[Rothman]

I find rear view cameras essential due to the much smaller rear windows of cars nowadays.  I thought that was due to pillars widening to stop roof crush if the car flips over.

[hotdogPi]

The Massachusetts drivers' road test prohibits backup cameras from even being in the car at all. You are required to use a car without one.

[J N Winkler]

I find rear view cameras essential due to the much smaller rear windows of cars nowadays.

That is part of what reduced DLO (daylight opening) is.

I thought that was due to pillars widening to stop roof crush if the car flips over.

I think side pillar airbags are a bigger driver, since the industry was manufacturing cars that resisted roof crush and still had good DLO before those came on the scene.

Exactly. Such a weird hill to die on.

I don't think anyone is looking to fight to the death, but it's pretty clear that many do not regard backup cameras as a convenience improvement.  While I have sympathy for that position, I do not think it is one that regulators can accept and still serve the public interest (see below).

Basically the argument I'm hearing is "well, I did just fine backing up before cameras!!"  To which I would respond, 1) nobody cares, 2) you aren't required to use the camera, and 3) many people actually do find it helpful.

The larger issue here is that a return to 1990's vehicle design with generous DLO is just not on the table, because customers will not accept vehicles that have fewer airbags and thus are "less safe" in a passive sense.  The policy choice then falls between vehicles with poor DLO that don't have backup cameras, and vehicles with equally poor DLO that do have cameras.  This is a no-brainer on the basis that half a loaf is better than none.

[Rothman]

The Massachusetts drivers' road test prohibits backup cameras from even being in the car at all. You are required to use a car without one.

Not true.  Straight from MassDOT:

https://youtu.be/gAZB28ex6bI

[Rothman]

I find rear view cameras essential due to the much smaller rear windows of cars nowadays.

That is part of what reduced DLO (daylight opening) is.

I thought that was due to pillars widening to stop roof crush if the car flips over.

I think side pillar airbags are a bigger driver, since the industry was manufacturing cars that resisted roof crush and still had good DLO before those came on the scene.

And then you had those horror stories in the 1980s of some parent in a hurry that backed over their toddler since they couldn't see below the rear window anyway.