Finally safety standards for touch screens?
The European vehicle safety testing body Euro NCAP has announced that it is looking into the problem of distraction caused by touch screens in cars. Finally, one would like to say!...
13/02/2023
The European vehicle safety testing body Euro NCAP has announced that it is looking into the problem of distraction caused by touch screens in cars.
Finally, we would like to say! Touch screens, which abound in cars today, do not meet any standard in terms of safety, thus leaving manufacturers to do absolutely what they want in terms of integration, screen quality and ergonomics. The problem, of course, is that these screens are sometimes the source of huge distractions while driving.
Although recent studies have shown this, you don't need to do a lot of research to realize that the sources of distraction in the car have multiplied over time, at the same time lengthening the average reaction time driving in an emergency. One study has even shown that a touch screen increases reaction time more than alcohol or cannabis while driving.
Experts are now calling for safety criteria to be established for screens, like those used by Euro NCAP to test new cars, whether in terms of passive or active safety .
For the moment, touch screens are not taken into account, neither in the standards, nor in the count of Road Safety. Drunk driving, drowsiness, smartphone, speed... but what about accidents related to someone looking for music, navigating menus or changing the air conditioning temperature while leaving the road eyes ?
The solution? Rather than finally giving manufacturers limits, Europe could set up a device to monitor the eyes of the driver. If you look a little too long at the screen of your car, it doesn't matter that it is badly placed, too slow, with a poorly thought-out OS: a buzzer will remind you to look at the road.