Computer screens on car dashboards.

[mike os]

Personally I really dislike them, especially when they are a TV stuck to the dash.. could at least try to integrate it with a little style

Only driven a couple with them, distracting and unnecessarily difficult to use when paying proper attention to the road ime

 

[reb78]

It is no different than trying to tune an old dial radio to your local station or lighting a cigarette while driving. Both take eyes off the road.
Last time I checked you can use a CB or any 2 way radio while driving. so having a mike in my hand of a Walkie talkie is fine but not my mobile phone...

Pah. My granddad could roll and light a roll up without taking his eyes off the road...

 

[Bobupndown]

And a two speed rocker control fan. Perfect.

Oh get you, a 2 speed fan, fancy!
I like proper buttons:-

 

[Morrisman]

It is no different than trying to tune an old dial radio to your local station or lighting a cigarette while driving. Both take eyes off the road.

Even the speedo is a good eye stretch from looking straight ahead, on my Mondeo.

When I use my sat nav I stick it up on the windscreen, bottom right, so it's a mere twitch of the eyes to see it. Same on my bike, my Tomtom is mounted up high so I don't even have to move my head to see it. I don't know why more cars aren't built like that, speedo up high in plain view.

 

[fixedfixer]

Oh get you, a 2 speed fan, fancy!
I like proper buttons:-

View attachment 340587

CD player as well, very advanced. What’s up with C60 cassettes

 

[Bravheart]

CD player as well, very advanced. What’s up with C60 cassettes

No no no the 8 track was the real deal

 

[minimutly]

I agree with you in principle, I don't like basic settings on a touch screen. I really don't like the huge tesla style ipad screens at all.
The key words are "tactile controls" - there's nothing tactile about a touchscreen.

My Jag XF is pretty decent with proper buttons for most stuff, but you still need the touchscreen for various climate controls, media etc.

However, I'm not going to stop every time I want to adjust something. I watch the road and only look at the screen out of the corner of my eye... takes a little longer to process, but better that way than the other way around.
I assume most people do the same... and it's the few who are totally distracted who end up crashing. Easy to get distracted doing anything other than looking at the road ahead, TBH.

I'm glad you're in the minority on this, as I certainly don't agree with you about "banning" the use while driving.
Ultimately the police will issue TORs to those who they have observed driving erratically as careless driving - whether on the phone, or fiddling with controls, or eating breakfast - whatever.

Remember, the people who make the laws around these also drive these sorts of cars... It's not in their best interests either

I hate this aspect of my xf. Wave hand with shaky finger at where you think the control is , hit the comms instead of the heating etc.

 

[mike os]

I hate this aspect of my xf. Wave hand with shaky finger at where you think the control is , hit the comms instead of the heating etc.

This .. then you are distracted trying to see what you did and how to get back to the heating system screen to sort that out ...

 

[fixedfixer]

@Malky Marc Bolan playing 8 tracks in a continuous loop did my head in.

 

[ukracer]

In the 60's, when I was in short trousers but already fascinated by cars and other machines, I remember a newspaper story my dad read to me.
Rolls Royce had managed to install a TV in a car! This was unprecedented, and almost unbelievable.
One thing was clearly mentioned: the TV must only be visible to passengers in the back seat, because if the driver caught a glimpse, it would dangerously distract his eyes from the road.
The distraction issue was so obviously true that everyone took it for granted. *Of course* the driver must not be able to view a screen. That would be insanity!

Fast forward to 2022. Tesla seem to have started a trend for huge iPad or larger size computer screens, in the middle of the dashboard. Now plenty of other car makers are copying them, These screens are not merely satnavs, they are often used for basic controls like lights and wipers, suspension settings, and many other functions which I don't know about. This is obviously crazy.

To use the screen, you need to remove your gaze from the road ahead, turn your head to the left, then lower your head, then completely refocus your eyeballs from infinity to two feet. Then you have to read the screen or look at the pictures, and process that information. Then you have to remove your left hand from the wheel, and concentrate on touching or swiping some tiny icon on the screen, then check the results. Assuming you achieved what you wanted, you then raise your head, face forward, refocus your eyes, and see what's happened in front of you during the seconds when your attention was completely elsewhere.

This is insanity and must cause many crashes and near misses. Why is it even allowed? It would be very easy to legally insist that the screens automatically go dark if the wheels are turning, and if you want to fiddle with your suspension settings or whatever, you pull over and put the handbrake on. Satnav would be allowed, but it should not be user-adjustable when the wheels are turning.

There is no reason to play with computer screens when you are driving. If you need to fiddle, pull over and stop.
I don't care if you are a multi-drop delivery driver or whatever, it is dangerously distracting, and should be banned immediately.

Anyone who claims they somehow 'need' to use a computer screen while driving needs re-educating.

I was talking to my son about this earlier. A copper followed him as he has his phone on a holder in the works van. He only uses hands free smartphone.
But the copper followed him for a long way down a motorway with his phone and cradle in view. Came of the motorway and sat in the outside lane again strategically placed....before doing a UTurn after my son slowed and smiled at him.

Apparently it's the new craze in Wolverhampton/Oldbury area with voters just waiting for just that one tap on the "communicating" device as its a slam dunk 200 quid fine.

Anyway what the hell do these voters make of these massive screens......I am.guessing its not slam dunk as its not a communicating device BUT I can see a DWDC charge.

 

[ukracer]

It must be a 2 way radio though, and you can still be done for driving without due care and attention

Ah Ah that's how interceptors get away with 1 handed driving at 100mph then.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

so you don't need to take your eyes off the road,

Are we to assume you adhere strictly to this?

So, you never check your rear-view or side mirrors, then?

 

[jerrytug]

Are we to assume you adhere strictly to this?

So, you never check your rear-view or side mirrors, then?

That's different, you don't look inside the car and refocus your eyes on a computer screen, or operate it with finger-swiping etc.
You *need* to check the mirrors, you don't need to play with screens.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Touching a "button" on a screen is no different to touching a physical button somewhere on a dash or console, it's exactly the same process.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

That's different, you don't look inside the car and refocus your eyes on a computer screen, or operate it with finger-swiping etc.
You *need* to check the mirrors, you don't need to play with screens.

Strikes me that we're 'splitting hairs' here.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I can't see any real difference between looking at a touch screen, a sat nav. or an instrument cluster, many of which are digital or LCD now anyway.

That said I do prefer a physical button for basic controls, because of the tactile feedback and that you don't have to be that precise when operating it.

I can see a touchscreen being more of a distraction, especially if you have fat fingers like me. I do have one fitted in one car for a entertainment system, but I wouldn't want to have to control everything through it.

 

[minimutly]

Touching a "button" on a screen is no different to touching a physical button somewhere on a dash or console, it's exactly the same process.

No it’s not. If you know your car and it’s controls you know where all the buttons and knobs are, and what they do, you don’t need to look at them. The screen I s halfway across the car, there is no knob to grasp, you just prod in hope...

 

[ukracer]

After driving a Citroen Piccasso I can see the need for a speedo in a sensible place. NOT in the centre of the car especially with so many speed cameras around just lately.

 

[Wozzaaah]

No it’s not. If you know your car and it’s controls you know where all the buttons and knobs are, and what they do, you don’t need to look at them. The screen I s halfway across the car, there is no knob to grasp, you just prod in hope...

So if you have a car with climate control which is operated by physical buttons or a knob you don't ever look at the display or knob to see what temperature you're setting it to?

 

[owas]

So if you have a car with climate control which is operated by physical buttons or a knob you don't ever look at the display or knob to see what temperature you're setting it to?

Quite easy on mine, all the way down is AC,all the way up is hot, don't need to look at it.