European car safety body is coming for touchscreens. The European New Car Assessment Programme mandates that key controls need physical buttons or switches
politico.eu
Carmakers are equipping their latest models with fancy touchscreens, but that could cause problems with Europe’s largest car safety authority.
The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) is revamping its rating system starting Jan. 1, 2026 to mandate that five of a car's primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.
Car models will have to comply to get NCAP's coveted five-star rating. The scheme is voluntary but is heeded by most automakers because it's closely monitored by consumers.
Belgium-based NCAP says that purely digital controls are a potential safety issue.
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Wow, have any car manufacturers actually tried changing these functions to touch buttons? I know Tesla got rid of the stalks, but my understanding was they still had physical buttons on the wheel to replace them.
My father has a relatively late model Toyota Avalon. It has a touch screen infotainment system; there are physical buttons on the steering wheel for most functions and a physical volume knob on the dashboard.
The HVAC controls have their own panel, but they're touch sensitive. So you can't feel for the knob or button you want and then interact with it. That shouldn't be legal.
Yeah I've seen plenty of HVAC and other auxiliary functions like radio moved to touch (and absolutely agree it shouldn't be legal), but never the five they're legislating in the article (horn, indicators, wipers, hazard, SOS). Imagine touchscreen indicator buttons! The market would rip them apart.
I thought Tesla put handbrakes on the touchscreen as well, which seems all sorts of crazy to me.. Might as well make a list of stuff we really dont want on there now I guess.