An interesting story out of Europe this month, and one that might make those who yearn for the days when switches and buttons were used to control a vehicle’s functions. In reports out of the UK and Europe, Euro NCAP – the European New Car Assessment Programme which is the equivalent to Australia’s ANCAP – is set to encourage manufacturers to use tactile switches and the like for certain functions in an attempt to limit the time a driver has their eyes off the road and working a touchscreen.
The reports suggest that from January 2026, points may be deducted from a new vehicle’s safety score should those functions not be able to be controlled via such physical controls.
Euro NCAP and ANCAP have strong ties and in November last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cement those connections and pave the way for closer collaboration in the future. We will see if such a relationship means the touchscreen/physical controls question is raised here down the track.