Modern cars are increasingly equipped with touchscreens that replace traditional buttons and switches. Manufacturers aim to create interiors that are sleek and high-tech, but this convenience comes with new safety risks. Drivers have to take their eyes off the road to operate navigation, music, or climate control via the screen. This has raised concerns among road safety experts.
In 2025, a research team from the University of Washington, in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute, conducted an experiment to determine how much touchscreens distract drivers. Sixteen participants were asked to operate a virtual car in a simulator while simultaneously using the touchscreen to complete various tasks. In addition, they were required to solve mental challenges designed to mimic stressful real-world driving situations.
The organizers closely monitored how well drivers kept the car within the lane, how quickly they responded to changing situations, and how accurately they interacted with the screen. Special attention was given to where and how long the participants looked while driving, as well as analyzing hand movements and other physical signs of concentration.
To objectively assess the driver’s workload, five key parameters were selected: lane-keeping stability, reaction speed, touchscreen accuracy, gaze direction and duration, as well as behavioral signals indicating attention level. This comprehensive approach provided the fullest possible picture of how touchscreens affect the driving process.
Analysis of the collected data showed that using a touchscreen significantly lowers the quality of driving. Drivers deviated from their lanes more often, responded slower to changing conditions, and made more mistakes operating the interface. As cognitive load increased, the situation worsened—participants tried to compensate for distraction by reducing the time they looked at the screen, but this was not enough to maintain previous safety levels.
Researchers noted an interesting pattern: before looking at the screen, drivers would intuitively reach towards the expected area of the desired function, and only then search with their eyes for the required icon. This proves that fully operating a touchscreen blindly is impossible—a quick glance at the screen is necessary in any case. Attempts to enlarge interface elements did not lead to significant improvement.
The experiment showed that the main danger lies not in small buttons, but in the very fact that drivers have to take their eyes off the road. Even large controls do not solve the problem—a driver is still forced to look away to find the needed function. The researchers emphasize that they’re not calling for a complete rejection of touchscreens, but believe their design should be rethought with safety as a priority. It’s crucial to highlight the most frequently used functions and minimize actions that require visual interaction with the screen.
In the coming years, requirements for automotive interfaces will become stricter. By 2026, Euro NCAP plans to introduce new standards that will also apply to touch panels. It is expected that manufacturers will have to find a balance between technological innovation and safety in order to reduce the risk of driver distraction.
If you didn’t know, Toyota Research Institute is the research branch of the Japanese automotive group Toyota, specializing in developing innovative transportation technologies for the future. The institute collaborates with leading universities worldwide, including the University of Washington, and works on artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and improving road safety. In recent years, the organization has focused on how new interfaces affect driver behavior and is developing recommendations for automakers to optimize user control systems.

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