All Consumers Want For Christmas Is ... Buttons On A Dashboard?

A painfully seasonal title, I admit, but a recent article by InsideEVs is an interesting lesson in the inherent risk of innovation.

For many years now (at least 10, according to Slate Magazine's feature), car interiors have seen (generally) widespread incorporation of touchscreens, or capacitive touch 'buttons', in favour of 'old school' tactile feedback buttons (e.g. switches and dials). Perhaps the most obvious example, and a trailblazer in this regard, is Tesla's range.

Whilst touchscreens provide wide-ranging functionality and (arguable) improvements to vehicle infotainment systems, various studies and reports suggest (as one may expect) that by distracting the driver with 'buried' touchscreen controls (e.g. climate controls, music controls etc.), these 'advancements' can actually pose an increased crash risk. Furthermore, (some) consumers have generally voiced concerns, and dissatisfaction, with such unwieldy touchscreen displays and other capacitive