Touchscreens considered as phones under German law

[DanceswithUnix]

Auto wiper settings often have fine control available (i.e. adjusting the sensitivity).

Yes, I think mine do. I say that, because I have had the car three years now and I have a vague recollection of seeing the option when I bought the thing and was tinkering, and after that I just left it. It also isn't something I have ever considered playing with while driving.

If my Alfa hatchback can get it right, I'm sure something with the AI crunching power of a Tesla won't have any problem.

I mainly feel sorry for the tree that the bloke drove into.

[badass]

Not read that specific BBC article, but from the one I did read the whole point of the ruling was that the car *did* have voice controls.

The expectation is that you set the wipers to automatic and leave them be. If you forgot to do that, then voice command them to automatic, and leave them be.

The wiper settings are apparently 5 menu levels deep in the control system. It seems fair enough to me that you should pull over and stop if you are messing with setup menus like that.

They also have a physical button to trigger the wipers. Essentially, the German case is some idiot endlessly faffing with the touchscreen when they should have been paying attention to the road and using the physical button. Even if they didn't know, perhaps they should have pulled over than concentrating on the touchscreen for long enough to crash.

[watercooled]

This is, IMHO, a classic example of the principle that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

Very much this IMO. I've long thought touchscreen controls in cars are a poor idea, trying to make everything smartphone-like. In my car I can do everything of importance; windscreen demist, wipers, AC, headlights, hazards, radio volume, etc. all without ever taking my eyes off the road because they are physical, intuitive, tactile switches. I just don't understand how anything thought using a touchscreen for any of that stuff would be a good idea.

[ik9000]

I just don't understand how anything thought using a touchscreen for any of that stuff would be a good idea.

raise a generation on ipads and smartphones, both in the home and at school, and then put them in positions of design responsibility as they start to get out into the big wide world, and what do you expect? They're confused by anything else! See how they can't cope looking up records in an old style paper archive library. It's hilarious.

[kalniel]

raise a generation on ipads and smartphones, both in the home and at school, and then put them in positions of design responsibility as they start to get out into the big wide world, and what do you expect? They're confused by anything else! See how they can't cope looking up records in an old style paper archive library. It's hilarious.

None of that generation can afford cars though, so it won't be that.

[ik9000]

None of that generation can afford cars though, so it won't be that.

they're not affording them - they're desiging them and that is worse. I am thinking of real people I know who went to the states to work at Tesla on their cars. This isn't fiction, this is real people. Lovely people, but very modern generation when it comes to life skills.

[kalniel]

they're not affording them - they're desiging them and that is worse. I am thinking of real people I know who went to the states to work at Tesla on their cars. This isn't fiction, this is real people. Lovely people, but very modern generation when it comes to life skills.

Tesla, yes, I'll give you that, very much so.

VAG on the otherhand are known for cars conservatively designed for least offence to the masses, with insane amounts of design/feedback work over minute detail and shapes.. and they've gone full touchscreen on all their models (which look and drive otherwise pretty identical to how they've always done) :/ No doubt the beancounters have worked the sums and thing the marketing uptick and removing all dials more complex than a push button will make them more money.