Touch screens have become standard in most new cars, making car interiors look clean and stylish. They provide more options for controlling the car’s functions, and when the vehicle is not moving, they work perfectly well to use. However, Hyundai has done research that shows American drivers don’t really like touchscreens.
Hyundai conducted several tests on a certain group of users and found that people are stressed and annoyed when they want to adjust something quickly but fail to do so. It takes more time to find digital controls, which takes their attention away from the road creating uncertainty while driving, while they find physical buttons easier to use.
“When we introduced infotainment screens to our vehicles, we tried to integrate the controls as well, but people don’t prefer it,” Hyundai’s vice president of design in North America Ha Hak-soo told the Korea JoonAng Daily.
Hyundai has already started offering physical buttons alongside touchscreens, such as in the new Ioniq 5. Some believe that drivers could still accept only touchscreens if the driver assistance system were improved, which some automakers are trying to do.
Source: Hyundai