If you also feel that in the new car you bought it is less convenient to perform basic operations, and even if you succeeded it takes much more time, you are not alone. The takeover of giant touch screens on the front console, often at the expense of traditional physical buttons, harms not only ease of use but also driving safety. Some car manufacturers have taken note and are returning some buttons, safety organizations are warning and tightening tests. Yet a test conducted in Sweden found that screen safety continues to deteriorate consistently.

A driver distraction test performed on a range of new cars found that the safety impact from screens in new models is even higher than in an identical test conducted four years ago. According to the Swedish consumer site, the test showed a driver covered 813 meters on a highway before completing a series of operating tasks. In the test four years earlier the figure was only 756 meters. For comparison, a Volvo V70 built about 20 years ago with no screen and only physical buttons allowed the same tasks to be completed in just 300 meters.

The required tasks in the test include adjusting climate control, changing radio stations and setting dashboard screen brightness. The test was conducted after the driver was given enough time to learn the systems, so it was not a blind test. It was performed at a highway speed of 110 km/h and measured the time needed for operation along with the distance traveled without looking at the road.

According to the testers, the results mean that over the past four years the average car now requires two full extra seconds of distraction, time when you cannot see the traffic ahead, road hazards or generally where you are driving. At 110 km/h that equals about 60 meters.

The differences between cars are notable. The Mazda CX-60 occupied the test driver more than any other model and required 1,137 meters to complete the tasks. The Mercedes CLA and Toyota Corolla Cross performed somewhat better. Despite criticism of Tesla for starting the trend back in 2012, the current Model Y needed only 608 meters, about half the screen interaction time of the Mazda.

The Swedish brand still offered some comfort for newer cars. The best result among the new cars tested came from the Volvo XC60, with a travel distance of 485 meters, closest to a car equipped with traditional buttons. The best performer in the 2022 test was also a Volvo, the C40, which needed only slightly more than 400 meters.

Car Rankings, from Worst to Best

Mazda CX-60 with 1,137 meters
Mercedes CLA with 1,116 meters
Toyota Corolla Cross with 1,026 meters
Volvo V60 model year 2016 with 863 meters
BYD Seal U with 819 meters
Nissan Qashqai with 813 meters
Kia EV3 with 812 meters
Citroen C3 Aircross with 774 meters
Tesla Model Y with 608 meters
Skoda Kodiaq with 542 meters
Volvo XC60 with 485 meters
Volvo V70 with 300 meters