Originally Posted by
livedarklions
I think you have the causation backwards. It's the practicality of inserting a small screen that made the imposition of a rear-camera a no-brainer regulation. There really is no practical way to work around the kid-sized rear view blind spot using mirrors.
Those initial screens were pretty small, they're now getting bigger. Is there any reason to believe this is making drivers more distracted other than the musings of a bunch of older men on the thread?
I can't prove the counterfactual, but screens were an inevitability regardless of regulation. Cars are hardly unique in being changed from mechanical knobs and switches to digital interfaces. They're cheaper now, generally more durable, and can be designed to be intuitive.
If you want to to get precise about it, the first touch screen used in a car was in the 1986 Buick Riviera. Yes, some models with higher end options began using them over the years. They were used to enable more function for various cabin devices, heat, A/C, etc. Lower model did not use them because there was no need for them. They became commonplace, when the NHTSA began talking about mandating the cameras. Once the mandate was made, they quickly became standard in cars in anticipation of the mandate going into effect. I was very interested in what the NHTSA was doing at the time, and read everything related to their thoughts on backup cameras as they pondered the mandate. This went back a log time. As a result, I kept an eye on what auto manufacturers were doing in response.
I do not buy the intuitiveness of a menu system over tactile controls in a car, for heating and A/C. You can have MORE controls with a touch screen, but when driving I am not sure that is a great thing. I used to drive between 1000 and 3000 miles a week, and did so for about ten years. I knew the controls and could use them without taking my eyes off of the road. I even bough vehicles based on the placement of the controls, preferring a radio to be mounted high so that you could see the display, coupled with actual knobs and buttons. VW was made that way back then. All their controls were laid out so that they were easy to use and recognize by touch. Then they began slowly integrating a screen.
I have rented many cars with touch screens, and logged thousands of miles on cars using them. I became familiar with the ones I commonly rented, and still dislike them, since you cannot feel the control, and therefore have to look at the screen. I will not deny a luxurious feel to a car with a nice big screen, but that doesn't translate into ease of use, and safe use while driving, for me anyway.
Anyway, that is my experience, and background relating to this subject, as well as what is simply my opinion and preference. You have your own preferences. I don't have any more to say on the subject.