Australian drivers want physical buttons back as touchscreens linked to crashes

New research shows more than two-thirds of Australian drivers want more physical buttons in their vehicles, pointing to in-car tech and touchscreens as significant sources of distraction – and contributors to crashes.

Research from global insurance giant Allianz analysed 34,000 vehicle crashes and surveyed drivers from around the world, with Australians near the top of the list in preferring physical buttons over touchscreens.

The Allianz Centre for Technology (AZT) found 67 per cent of Australian drivers who had been in a collision identified distraction as playing a role in their incident, while almost one in three Australian drivers (29 per cent) surveyed said they’d experienced a critical moment while driving due to a touchscreen.

The study also found 67 per cent of Australians surveyed preferred physical buttons over digital icons.

“Distraction appears far more often in the crash record than official statistics suggest,” said Dr Klaus-Peter Röhler in the foreword to the report, titled Swipe. Tap. Crash. Driver distraction in the digital car.

“The same everyday task is markedly more dangerous in one car than in another. And a glance of only a couple of seconds can, at the wrong moment, be as dangerous as driving over the drink-drive limit.”

When asked if levels of in-car distraction had increased in recent years, 75 per cent of Australian respondents agreed they had, matching the sentiment in the UK.

Higher proportions of motorists in Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and France agreed, while Brazil recorded the highest figure at 86 per cent.

“Not all touchscreens are equally distracting. Our research shows that well-designed in-car controls can significantly reduce the time drivers spend looking away from the road,” said AZT traffic psychologist Michael Praxenthaler in the report.

“This demonstrates that distraction is not simply a driver problem – it is also a design challenge.”

The report echoes calls from Australian safety watchdog ANCAP for automakers to avoid burying critical vehicle functions in touchscreen menus.

“We want to see carmakers bring back buttons for the functions drivers use every day,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg in a recent statement.

“Adjusting your windscreen wipers, switching on your headlights or clearing a fogged-up windscreen should be simple, intuitive and achievable without taking your attention off the road.”

Ms Hoorweg’s comments followed crash tests of the Xpeng X9 electric people mover and GAC Aion UT electric hatchback, both of which achieved five-star ANCAP safety ratings.

Despite those results, both vehicles lost points for a lack of tactile switches for headlights, audio and telephone use.

Similarly, ANCAP partner Euro NCAP praised the Audi Q7 large SUV and Kia EV2 (not sold here) tested earlier this year, as both had buttons for key functions.

ANCAP and Euro NCAP worked together to introduce new testing protocols in 2026, designed to keep pace with design and technology changes in new vehicles.

“Under the Safe Driving section of Euro NCAP’s safety rating, the key driving controls – indicators, windscreen wipers and washer, hazard warning lights, horn and eCall emergency button – should be operated by a direct physical input rather than hidden within a menu on a touchscreen,” a Euro NCAP statement explained.

“The results of Euro NCAP’s testing show that car manufacturers are making a steady return in favour of buttons and switches for basic functions, rather than the use of touchscreens and voice control.”

Similarly, new regulations in China mandating physical controls for such features are set to come into effect on July 1, 2027.

MORE: ANCAP awards five-star safety ratings to Chinese trio, but dings two for lack of physical buttons