Modern car dashboards are increasingly dominated by touchscreens, but new research from Sweden suggests the trend may undermine road safety. A test by automotive magazine Vi Bilägare found that drivers using the latest infotainment systems took longer to complete basic tasks than those using older models, spending more time and covering greater distances while looking away from the road.
The study included ten new vehicles and a 2016 Volvo V60. Drivers performed everyday actions while driving at highway speeds on a closed airfield, including adjusting climate controls and changing radio stations. They also modified screen brightness. The results showed that the average time and distance needed to complete these tasks have increased with newer technology, rather than decreased.
Longer Tasks, Greater Distraction
In the Vi Bilägare test, the average distance covered while interacting with a touchscreen rose from 756 meters in 2022 to 813 meters in the latest round. At 96 km/h, a car travels about 27 meters per second, so the increase represents roughly two additional seconds of attention diverted from the road.
The findings align with Allianz research showing that interface design can make a measurable difference even when drivers perform the same infotainment tasks. Its real-vehicle testing found that off-road glance time varied by as much as 25% between two vehicles, a difference of about three seconds or more than 40 meters traveled at 50 km/h. Tasks included entering a destination and selecting music. Allianz’s wider 2026 research program drew on German crash statistics, more than 34,000 cases in the German In-Depth Accident Study database (GIDAS), eye tracking in real vehicles, cognitive modeling, an international survey and a Technical University of Munich driving-simulator study. “We tested it through a broad research program,” Allianz said in describing its approach. Its conclusion was that distraction contributes to roughly one in three road crashes.
Vi Bilägare noted that screens have become larger and are often better positioned, while hardware and software updates have brought sharper graphics and supposedly more intuitive menus. But these changes have not made operation safer or faster in the test. The new Mercedes CLA, equipped with the brand’s latest operating system, required an average of 35 seconds to complete the set tasks, 15 seconds longer than the Mercedes GLB tested in 2022. The CLA also took 19 seconds to respond after unlocking. Drivers covered an average of 1,116 meters during the interactions, second only to the Mazda CX-60’s 1,137 meters.
The best performer among the 2026 models was the Volvo XC60, but it still required drivers to travel 485 meters per task, 68 meters more than the Volvo C40 Recharge managed in 2022. A Tesla Model Y outperformed the Model 3 from the previous test, and the 2026 XC60 did better than the 2016 V60, which relied more on physical controls. But, a Volvo V70 from 2005, tested in 2022, still surpassed the 2016 model, pointing to the potential benefits of simpler, analog interfaces.
Why Automakers Favor Screens
The shift toward digital dashboards began in the late 1990s with luxury vehicles and has since become an industry standard. In the 2010s, physical buttons were rapidly replaced by touch controls and digital instrument clusters. Touch-sensitive steering wheels also appeared, although some brands have since reversed course on those.
Many driving enthusiasts remain skeptical of the shift, citing distraction and ergonomic drawbacks. Physical buttons can be found and operated by touch, allowing drivers to adjust audio or climate settings without looking down. Touchscreens often require drivers to locate an on-screen control, handle menus or confirm a selection, adding visual and cognitive work.
Research reported by Australia’s Automobile Association and the University of Newcastle shows how menu depth can add to that workload: some routine tasks, such as adjusting climate controls or entering a navigation destination, required as many as 11 screen taps and around six seconds of visual attention. At 60 km/h, six seconds corresponds to roughly 100 meters of travel. A separate nine-market survey reported that a median 37% of drivers said touchscreen use had contributed to at least one critical situation in the previous three years. The figures ranged from 29% in Australia and the United Kingdom to 48% in Brazil. These are drivers’ reported experiences, not findings about crash causation.
Digital dashboards may also cost manufacturers less to produce: a single screen can replace multiple buttons and associated wiring, while allowing brands to present vehicles as more technologically advanced. The entry of technology companies into the automotive sector has accelerated the shift toward software-led interiors, alongside the growth of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). But a larger display or more sophisticated software does not by itself make routine controls easier or safer to use.
Industry Context and Implications
The findings from Sweden echo concerns raised by the University of Washington and the Toyota Research Institute about complex infotainment systems. Safety organizations are also beginning to address interface design in vehicle assessments. Euro NCAP’s 2026 safety-rating structure rewards direct access to impressive controls and can deduct points when basic functions are buried in touchscreen menus. The program identifies indicators, windscreen wipers and washers, hazard warning lights, the horn and the eCall emergency button as controls that should be available through direct physical input. Euro NCAP says such controls “should be operated by a direct physical input rather than hidden within a menu on a touchscreen.”
In a separate simulated highway emergency-braking scenario cited by Allianz, the crash rate was 54.3% among distracted drivers, compared with 18.2% among attentive drivers. The finding shows that distraction can affect a driver’s response to sudden hazards as well as the time spent looking away from traffic. Allianz has also reported that new European cars must have a driver-distraction warning system from July 2026. The system is designed to monitor visual attention and warn when a driver’s eyes remain off the road too long. Such warnings address distraction once it occurs; assessment criteria for direct controls target a design factor that can cause drivers to look away in the first place.
The debate over touchscreens also concerns comfort, usability and the developing definition of luxury in the automotive world. The Mercedes GLC 400 EQ 4Matic, recently reviewed for its comfort and travel credentials, shows how brands are balancing digital innovation with traditional expectations of ease and refinement (see our analysis of Mercedes' approach to comfort and technology).
As car interiors become increasingly digital, manufacturers face the challenge of reconciling cost savings and technological progress with safety and intuitive operation. The Swedish test suggests that newer dashboards have yet to deliver on a basic promise of technology: keeping drivers focused on the road while making everyday tasks quicker and easier.
