Are car infotainment systems dangerously distracting?

[@tomskwomble66]

It's a pity you didn't have a car with more physical buttons to compare against

[@motorpoint]

Or a car with no infotainment. This is worth revisiting I think! -Tim

[@RCScaleAdventures-24]

My thought too, MK5 golf with no touch screen

[@adrianlw2750]

One important issue with touch screens not mentioned here is that on typical bumpy UK roads, it is very difficult to accurately press the bit of the screen that is the “button”. Factor in that being right handed, the left hand may be less adept at touching the screen in the correct place(s). I dislike touch screens in cars, thankful that my car has traditional rotary knobs, and buttons/toggles for most of what I need on the move.

[@motorpoint]

Absolutely agree about the bumpy roads. having a little ledge under the screen to brace your hand on helps a bit. -Tim

[@sthillarys52]

I know I am going to get totally slated for this comment & accused of being an “old fogy” (which I am anyway!), but at the age of 77 & into my 60th year of driving, including over 40 years of doing it for a living, I think that gives me the right to express my opinion that I can’t help but feel that the whole concept of the infotainment system in modern cars, requiring frequent input from the driver whilst not giving total attention to the road ahead, is nothing short of being potentially dangerous! So touching a mobile phone while driving, albeit hand held, can result in 6 points on your licence plus a £200 fine, & yet it’s deemed to be ok to spend all day fiddling around with a touchscreen whilst steering one handed. This in itself is not in accordance with the Highway Code which states that “you should drive with both hands on the wheel whenever possible. Driving with one hand is not illegal, but it is generally considered to be unsafe”. As for makes such as Peugeot, for example, which require using the touchscreen to access frequently used controls such as the heating & aircon settings, this totally beggers belief! I recently had to take avoiding action when a Tesla 3 crossed the white line & was coming towards me on a narrow country road, as no doubt the driver was fiddling with his touchscreen, which of course is the only form of instrumentation in such a car.

[@pipoo1]

Car manufacturers can’t win though. I remember when the MK7 Astra came out reviewers habitually complaining about a “mess” of buttons on the centre console, yet every one off those buttons had a clear specific function and it was ergonomically laid out that you could practicality use muscle memory to adjust climate control, turn on/off auto stop, lane assist etc. The new Mk8 still has some buttons, for which bizarrely it won praise from reviewers but these have been drastically reduced to basically just climate settings. Everything else has to be done via the touch screen.

[@chrishb7074]

I like that the eye-tracking expert psychologist has the most distracting hand gesticulation I’ve seen in a long while. Unwritten law says psychologists’ specialisations are oddly personal. Mine was decision-making under uncertainty, but I never made up my mind which research projects would be the best choice.

[@theelectrichobo829]

Don't use a mobile phone while driving...but it's ok to have a 13 inch touch screen in front of you and 12 sub menus to change the fucking temperature.

[@johntrinick712]

I have to use reading glasses to read a computer screen or phone. I don't yet need glasses for long vision or driving. If I wear my reading glasses when either walking around or driving, my vision is impaired. Take the reading glasses off again, and my vision is fine. So if I were to drive one of these cars, not only would I be looking up and down between road and screen, but I'd be putting off and putting back on my reading glasses constantly! My car has buttons. I can do most tasks using muscle memory reaching for buttons that fall easily to hand. It doesn't take a scientist and expensive glasses to tell you these cars are not safe!!!!🙄

[@pigeonpoo1823]

Thank you so so so much for reporting on this. We all know these screens are stupidly dangerous, even the less bad ones. Ban phone use, but these are alright. Really? Some variables they need to consider 1)that was ultra smooth tarmac and most Audi's are s-line, so ride badly. 2)a range of drivers with a range of competency levels. I'm serious here. Go find some Mokka or Juke drivers because they have the least amount of technical ability so will likely perform very differently to competent drivers. A very good start and again, thank you

[@grahamwort6969]

A very worthy test. It's interesting to watch the drivers' steering method while carrying out the tasks. The way he has to turn the wheel while using the infotainment system is very dangerous - using the heel of his palm means that he has no grip at all on the wheel at all. This behaviour would mean a "fail" in a driving test and if these tests had been done on a road at normal speeds, he would likely have lost control as soon as the car hit a pothole and tugged the wheel away from him. This direction of car design is distracting and dangerous.

[@markdean3217]

The new Mini is a nightmare ❗️bring back a old fashion dash 😊

[@andrewgage6942]

I drive a 13 year old basic model vehicle, no screens, just a radio and heater controls in the middle of the dash and electric window controls on the armrest, I don't need to take my eyes off the road to do anything, I don't like screens, perhaps part of that is because I've been driving for over 40 years and I'm used to old fashioned buttons When my car eventually gives up the ghost, will buy another older vehicle without screens, I think that they are dangerous and have mentioned it in other reviews on KZbin

[@smilepermile8165]

Great video Tim and well thought-out video👍 Hopefully these major OEMs can take a few notes from these findings

[@motorpoint]

Thank you! Apparently lots of manufacturers do this sort of testing themselves for new infotainment systems, but they do it in VR, but our eyes work diffferently in VR to real life… -Tim

[@simono4991]

I completely agree with the concerns raised in this video. The problem is the automotive media world missed the opportunity to call this out 5 years or so ago when this was really getting going (I’d say the transition from Golf Mk 7 to Mk 8 was a watershed moment) but they didn’t. And cars’ safety ratings aren’t affected by this. Until Euro NCAP start docking stars manufacturers will keep doing it as it saves them money.

[@pedrostevens]

lane assist and speed limit warning make cars less safe imo, they're constantly bonging and you can't always figure out what system's been triggered - also is that a 1998 Lexus LS400 I spot in the background? 😍

[@motorpoint]

Yes but it’s a rot box -Tim

[@MiniEggs1999]

Very interesting. Interesting rotary controller made chuff all difference. Shame you couldn’t get a Mazda with it’s simple system and the only other rotary (pun intended) I know of now Audi have ditched theirs

[@tristanyoung453]

Brilliant work. Can't wait for the next video with more cars (older ones would be a good comparison).

[@motorpoint]

Thanks Tristan! The temptation to borrow some old BMWs for vital infotainment testing is real. Is a V10 M5 actually safer than a 118?!

[@ChubiPanda]

All heater controls should be separate and usable without looking. My 73 plate car has a touchy slider thing and it's a pig to use. My previous car was one big crank to heat up.

[@stanleyleopard6799]

I remember my driving instructor telling me not to change a cassette tape on the move.

[@motorpoint]

Auto reverse was a game changer! -Tim

[@Anthony-z7b3v]

I’ve always thought that the latest cars are more dangerous. Some of the information screens are massive. I myself have had some close shaves because of looking across to the Satnav or other displays.

[@motorpoint]

No, we didn't get to keep the glasses :(

[@ournexus7235]

I don't have an info screen as the car is too old, but aren't they voice activated? Can't you ask for lane assist to turn off?

[@MrBigMalT]

The other thing manufacturers just can’t grasp is the ergonomics of a central touch screen. most of us are right handed, so in a right hand drive car, you end up trying to navigate the touch screen with your left hand, which makes it doubly difficult.

[@motorpoint]

True! To be fair I'm a lefty and I still struggle :D -Tim

[@ZX600E7]

Most of the world are lhd. Not surprising really 😔

[@therealquaid1694]

Great video!

[@albertlira7443]

That was fantastic consumer research!

[@motorpoint]

Thank you sir! -Tim

[@NigelRudyard]

I have a Hyundai, which has a pretty good touch screen, but it's still annoying - and the A/C controls are haptic. I haven't run over any badgers yet, fortunately. Excellent survey! I'd like to see this test include a Tesla, which always looks a bit fiddly to me.

[@SabotsLibres]

Turning off lane-assist is actually something that should be done before starting off, like putting on a seatbelt or adjusting the seat and mirrors...but I understand the reasoning. The downside of this test is that drivers usually know where the functions are found in their own vehicle - driving 7 or 8 cars back-to-back with little or no prior knowledge of their systems is a little unfair. The test should really be done after a briefing or by current owners to be more accurate. And a control vehicle with physical controls is essential otherwise this piece of research is actually pretty worthless.

[@motorpoint]

@@SabotsLibres thanks for the feedback!

[@74Ljay]

great video, very informative

[@dafyddrhobert2414]

Such systems are always going to be distracting. They should be changed when the vehicle is stationary as fiddling while driving is dangerous. If I were in charge of road safety, I'd want an automatic block on them while the car is moving, so they could not be changed until the car is stationary. Radios are distracting enough and such entertainment should be banned in all vehicles as there is enough entertainment from looking at the places that are being driven through.

[@alexc9584]

Should have included a Mazda with its clone of the BMW iDrive controller but a far simpler infotainment OS.

[@camilstoenescu]

Are car interiors dangerously distracting? Yes.

[@Koulis_]

This is pointless as the driver hasn't familiarised himself with the car. Unless this applies to rentals or borrowing a car then this doesn't apply and even then you should familiarise yourself with the features before setting off and driving.

[@pd1596]

I mean it's completely unfair that you get such severe penalties for glancing at your phone and yet it's perfectly okay to have all these screens and adas nonsense in the cars... What was wrong with simple buttons. Why can't there just be a mandated off button to turn everything off. Surely most of us are more familiar with our phones rather than these complex screen systems... Other point is about BMW - they had the best infotainment in the business for over 10 years. Simple wheel and simple menus. Why now the touch screen and embedded menus? Such a shame. I drive a 2010 5 series. Phone Bluetooths in so I can control my music (Spotify!) and calls through the car. The car is too old for android auto so the maps is still running through the phone but you defo glance over a lot less than on the cars we've seen in this video. And the "systems" can either be turned down by pressing a button or turned off by holding it down. Simple. Also the speed limiter and cruise control is simple. Just much much better and more user friendly than newer cars.

[@alexmaple4]

Good video, but shame you weren’t able to test a Tesla, given that is all just one screen.

[@motorpoint]

There may be a round 2 of this next year! -Tim