Car touchscreens took over the dashboard, but buttons are fighting back

Car touchscreens have become the norm on modern car dashboards, yet buttons still play a crucial role for quick, familiar controls. While sleek, minimalist dashboards with large screens dominate today's vehicle design, recent studies suggest drivers may not be ready to completely replace traditional buttons. Research indicates that drivers interact with physical buttons more often than touchscreens, with physical controls used roughly once every 6.5 minutes compared to a touchscreen interaction every 10 minutes.

In East and Southeast Asia, physical controls dominate recorded interactions, accounting for more than two-thirds of sequences. Researchers found that touchscreen controls can distract drivers, particularly during tasks requiring multiple interactions, where screens can lead to poorer performance and increased distraction. However, physical buttons offer the advantage of being located by touch, making them more convenient for frequently used functions like wipers and headlights.

Despite these findings, screens remain essential for tasks like navigation, entertainment, and infrequently used features. While some carmakers, like Proton, are offering a compromise by keeping essential buttons while shifting other controls to screens, it's unlikely that touchscreens will completely replace buttons anytime soon.