Driving Blind? Tesla’s Touchscreen Controls Face Safety Backlash

Car interiors have undergone significant changes over the past few years. Large center displays and instrument clusters have become popular, and the central control system used while driving has also changed from analog to digital. However, consumers’ reactions to these changes have not been always good.

Convenience and intuitiveness are top priorities regarding various functions handled while driving a vehicle. However, the problem is that the touch functions the automobile industry is rushing to introduce recently are far from this. In particular, Tesla is notorious for its interface with minimal physical buttons. In the end, Euro NCAP recently warned Tesla of its disadvantages and announced that it would take special measures.

Tesla Model Y / YouTube Channel’ ‘Euro NCAP’

Interior of Tesla Model 3 Highland

Tesla’s safety rating is top
Is the touchscreen an obstacle?

Previously, Tesla attracted attention by obtaining the highest safety rating from new car safety evaluation organizations worldwide. In Euro NCAP, all Tesla models received the highest rating of 5 stars. In the latest test by the strict Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) of the US, Tesla’s Model Y earned Top Safety Pick Plus.

However, depending on Tesla’s future choices, maintaining this record may be difficult. That’s because of the turn signals. Starting with the Model S refresh version, Tesla removed the turn signal lever, shift lever, and wiper control buttons and began integrating functions into the steering wheel touchscreen and center screen. This design trend is expanding throughout the lineup, including the recently launched Model 3 Highland and Cybertruck.

Beyond uncomfortable level
Concerns about careless driving accidents

Reactions to this feature were generally overwhelmingly adverse. This is because it is difficult to adapt, as there has been no case of moving the turn signal function to the steering wheel touchscreen. Also, unlike physical buttons, the location cannot be known by touch alone, so if we are not used to it, we have to move our gaze downward.

“The overuse of touchscreens is an industry-wide problem,” Matthew Avery, director of strategic development at Euro NCAP, told foreign media, Hagerty. He expressed concern that “this forces drivers to take their eyes off the road to operate key controls, increasing the risk of inattention and collisions.“

Mandating physical controls for key functions
Extensive design modifications are inevitable

Accordingly, Euro NCAP plans to make the presence of physical control devices such as buttons and levers a mandatory requirement for primary functions in the future. This includes turn signals, emergency lights, horns, and wipers, and the new regulations are scheduled to apply in 2026. Attention is paid to whether Tesla will apply extensive design modifications to its lineup in response.