The era of touchscreens in vehicles is coming to an end!
Starting in 2026, Euro NCAP will require vehicles aiming for a 5-star safety rating to feature fewer touchscreens and more physical buttons.
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Euro NCAP will implement new test regulations in 2026, requiring vehicles to prioritize physical buttons over touchscreens to achieve the highest safety rating.
These changes, designed to steer automakers toward using physical controls instead of touchscreens for essential functions, state that vehicles aiming for a 5-star rating must include fewer touchscreens and more buttons.
Euro NCAP Strategic Development Director Matthew Avery stated that the excessive use of touchscreens leads to driver distraction and increases the risk of accidents.
Although Euro NCAP has the support of many European Union member countries and major companies such as Tesla, BMW, and Volvo, it does not have any legal enforcement power over vehicles entering the market. However, it is considered an important organization for automakers that want to ensure reliability.
Avery noted that they are working to have the new requirements implemented by 2026, while adding that automakers prefer to produce touchscreen interfaces because they are more cost-effective.