this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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You don't copy because you think it is a good idea, you copy because everyone did the same thing. If everyone start putting touch button on cars and you not, you will be seen as old. Even if the idea is stupid, it is the hot new idea of the day. Also putting touch screen is cheaper to build and update since in the end the physical button just send a signal to one of the various ECUs on the car anyway.
Leaving Ferraris aside, it is not that a button as indicators is always a bad idea. What is a stupid idea is to put a touch button without tactile feedback, so you need to look to see if you have pressed it or not.
Well, my Renault has some buttons on the steering wheel and it do not seems too bad to use them while driving, I find very convenient to be able to control something without moving my hands from it (ok, they are not touch button).
A car I drove some months ago had double commands: touch ones and physical buttons. Not bad as choice.
Yeah, herd mentality often wins over critical thinking.
Only touch screen controls for important controls are a safety hazard, and the upcoming safety standards in the EU will withhold the top ratings because of this: https://etsc.eu/cars-will-need-buttons-not-just-touchscreens-to-get-a-5-star-euro-ncap-safety-rating/
Controls for things like the radio or cruise control are fine on the wheel as buttons. Indicators absolutely aren't, and are the example I used for good reason. Honestly I have no words if you cant see that they are an actual safety hazard on something like a roundabout, particularly one you would navigate at speed.
Simple left or right turns at say traffic lights or other junction aren't the problem, trying to activate them while the wheel can be at some random orientation is difficult, so you end up not bothering.
Not signalling when at a round about is an offense in the UK. Its rarely enforced due to lack of traffic police, but its enough that its an actual offense that the car should be designed not to make it considerably harder to use them. In the event of an accident serious enough for the police to get involved if you didn't indicate then that's going to count against you.