The screens have become common in cars and, in many models, they concentrate functions in such a way that there are almost no physical controls. However, they may have unwanted impacts on the driver's attention level.
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14/07/2026
by
News to Minutes
Muitos current cars appear with central touch screens on board, among the most modest with a simple screen for the essential to more technologically advanced models where the screen is indispensable to control important functions – including air conditioning.
The Swedish organ Vi Bilägare tested the screens of ten new vehicles as well as a Volvo V60 2016, reaching worrying results. The participating drivers circulated at motorway speeds in an environment-controlled test at an aerodrome.
Before taking the wheel, the participants were able to know the systems of each vehicle. Then, while driving, people were challenged to make several adjustments to the car through the central screen – from moving the climate settings to changing the radio station, by defining the brightness of the screen itself. And even the use of gloves was considered.
The Nordic website experience indicates that, on average, 813 meters were required to perform tasks at a speed of 110 km/h. h – more than the 756 meters of the previous test performed in 2022, an increase of more than seven percent.
In other words, it takes about two more seconds, despite the improvement of systems and the increase in screen size in this four-year period. And although it doesn't look like much, on highway two seconds allow to travel a considerable distance while the focus shifts from traffic to the operation of the screen.
The worst performance was Mazda CX-60 (1,137 meters), followed by the Mercedes-Benz CLA (1,160 meters), with the Toyota Corolla Cross in third (1,024 meters).
It should be noted that Tesla Model Y – practically stripped of physical buttons – had a better result than Model 3 four years ago, running 608 meters.
But the best was even the Volvo XC60, where drivers were able to complete the tasks and brake at 485 meters – which indicates an intuitive design with easy access to essential functions.
Comparatively, the 2022 test was included to a Volvo V70 2005 – that is, more than 15 years ago, when scanning and screens were not as common and developed as today. The Swedish model was better than all tested in 2026, with a distance of 300 meters.
If the screens have become larger and are mounted in more driver-oriented positions, beyond the natural technological leap, then why did the performance get worse? The “guilty” can reside in how intuitive and simple the operation of the same while driving.
A few months ago, the ADAC – Europe’s largest car club – had already warned that there are certain functions on the menus and submenus of the touch screens that can give rise to “dangerously long road distraction periods“, being “even harder to use” in new models.
And he observed: “It seems totally paradoxical that using smartphones in cars is (and well) forbidden while operating huge tablets – which is essentially what these screens are – is allowed“.