Europe highly believes in the importance of physical buttons in cars’ control systems amid the automakers’ growing preference for designing minimalist interiors dominated by touchscreens.
Therefore, the region’s auto safety rating system is encouraging automakers to restore physical buttons if they want to receive remarkable safety ratings, The Drive reports.
Euro NCAP to require five key physical buttons starting 2026
The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) announced that it will start requiring automakers to offer five key physical buttons to improve the vehicles’ overall safety in 2026.
According to the report, the Euro NCAP will specifically mandate the availability of physical buttons for the following functions rather than having drivers navigate them via the infotainment screen:
- Turn signal indicators
- Windshield wiper controls
- Vehicle’s horn
- Hazard warning lights
- Built-in SOS features
Minimalist interior trend
The lack of physical buttons in contemporary vehicles available in the market today has been a growing concern for the European auto industry.
Major players like Tesla and Volkswagen have significantly abandoned physical buttons as they seek to promote minimalist interior design in their vehicle models, making it more challenging for drivers to control certain functions while driving.
The heavy reliance on infotainment screens also makes it harder for non-techy vehicle owners, as they are used to physical control buttons.
“The overuse of touchscreens is an industry-wide problem, with almost every vehicle-maker moving key controls onto central touchscreens, obliging drivers to take their eyes off the road and raising the risk of distraction crashes. New Euro NCAP tests due in 2026 will encourage manufacturers to use separate, physical controls for basic functions in an intuitive manner, limiting eyes-off-road time and therefore promoting safer driving.”
Euro NCAP’s director of strategic development, Matthew Avery
Fortunately, most automakers are not yet considering transferring the hoard and hazard lights control to a menu. However, some of the functions under discussion have already started to emerge in some vehicles today, including the turn signal indicators and windshield wiper controls.
Is it compulsory?
It must be noted that the Euro NCAP’s planned reform is not compulsory by any European law, leaving the final decision to automakers.
However, compliance with the mentioned standards will undoubtedly give automakers an advantage in gaining satisfactory safety ratings in Euro NCAP.
For context, having high ratings in Euro NCAP is a major consideration among prospective buyers, assuring them of the vehicle’s overall safety.
