The proliferation of giant screens integrated into cars has come at the expense of physical controls. However, the buttons could return if manufacturers want to get the best safety ratings from the independent body Euro NCAP. Really, new standards planned for January 2026 will deduct points from vehicles that have too many screens and not enough physical controls.

Euro NCAP does intend to lower the safety ratings of newly tested cars that do not have physical controls for the following: indicators, hazard lights, horn, wipers and emergency call.

Euro NCAP will review its safety tests

Overall, manufacturers are slowly starting to move back to physical controls, with Hyundai bringing more traditional controls back into their cars, while other brands like Toyota haven’t really abandoned physical controls. Skoda has found the perfect compromise with three physical dials that have built-in customizable screens, allowing settings to be adjusted using the same dials. Euro NCAP development director Matthew Avery explains why this decision is to punish manufacturers who now give pride of place to screens:
“Overuse of touchscreens is a widespread problem in the industry. Almost every manufacturer is moving key controls to touchscreens, forcing drivers to take their eyes off the road and increasing the risk of distraction-related crashes. New Euro NCAP tests scheduled for 2026 will encourage manufacturers to use separate physical controls for essential functions in an intuitive way, limiting time spent off the road and contributing to safer driving. »

Soon the end of screens in cars?

As good as this news is, we note that Euro NCAP cannot force manufacturers selling cars in Europe to re-introduce traditional controls. It’s an independent organization, so it can’t force manufacturers to go back to physical buttons. Such a decision should come from the European Union.

However, the marketing argument for five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests should prompt manufacturers to reconsider their strategy at this level. And in general, this decision should not surprise manufacturers, as evidenced by a recent interview with BMW CEO Oliver Zips, who said during the CES in Las Vegas in 2023 that he “absolutely sure” that big screens will be banned in about ten years.

Apparently, the BMW boss was right, because even without a ban, manufacturers could give way.

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