Didn't BMW hold off on adding a touchscreen until iDrive 7 a few years ago? Or maybe it was iDrive 6 - either way a long time after 2001.
She was telling me about one study in particular to try a new touch screen built behind the handbrake, pretty much at 5 o'clock behind the driver. I'm sure she's not the only one sharing usability reports about how dangerous touchscreens are while driving, but marketing needed to advertise one more screen than the competition... This was 5 years ago. Took them a while to pivot, but i guess better late than never.
You would not believe the number of drivers who attempt to tamper directly with this screen, from their own seat, including while the vehicle is in operation. I have, at least once, terminated a ride early because of how unsafely the driver acted. There is never any reason for them to be interfering with a passenger control.
But drivers gonna drive, and more than a few are simply control freaks.
My son thought I was crazy when I complained about the window down buttons not registering when I fully pushed them down, and the defrost buttons not working on the first press, until he experienced it a couple of times himself.
Fortunately its engine also chewed itself up, and they begrudgingly replaced it with a new low-spec Toyota RAV4 which had wonderfully ergonomic controls: a nice little touchscreen for CarPlay, and below it big knobs and and an LED screen for FAN and TEMP.
taylodl•9mo ago