Euro NCAP 2026 evaluates operating concept

Operating Concepts Comeback of the Buttons

2025-08-19 From Gernot Goppelt | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

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At Euro NCAP, points will also be deducted from 2026 if the vehicle's operating concept impairs safety. Haptic controls instead of nested touchscreen menus will be rewarded in the future.

Exemplary operation in the Audi Q2: Important vehicle functions can be controlled via direct buttons, and the touchscreen is responsible for navigation and entertainment.(Image: Rosenow – VCG) — Exemplary operation in the Audi Q2: Important vehicle functions can be controlled via direct buttons, and the touchscreen is responsible for navigation and entertainment.
(Image: Rosenow – VCG)

One of the most prominent examples is perhaps the "Tesla ruling" of the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe (Germany) in 2020: It fined a driver because he wanted to change the windshield wiper interval of his Tesla and, distracted, drove into an embankment. The problem: He had to navigate to this function via the touchscreen and took his eyes off the road for too long. So far, the manufacturer is not liable for this; legally, only the driver is responsible.

That could soon change: In spring 2025, Euro NCAP published new rules (protocols) detailing how user interfaces in a car must be designed to avoid driver distraction. While Euro NCAP is not a legislative authority, it is certainly a trendsetter with political influence. Originally, the organization was only concerned with crash tests. Founded in 1997, Euro NCAP has gradually taken on more and more topics, such as pedestrian protection, the functionality of driver assistance systems, or the design of the "Human Machine Interface" (HMI).

Faster With a Button

The safety risk from distraction in vehicles has probably increased mainly due to two factors: the ever-growing variety of functions in cars and the tendency of some manufacturers to handle as much as possible via a touchscreen, often with nested menu structures. This is cheaper than providing manual controls for certain functions. However, let it be said in advance: shifting core functions of operation into a nested menu will lead to point deductions in Euro NCAP evaluations starting in 2026.

There are several studies on the operability of modern cars. An example is a study by Dekra, published in its "Traffic Safety Report" 2023. Dekra compared two vehicles of the same type from 2012 and 2022 "with high sales and new registrations." It was found that participants were able to operate many functions significantly faster in the older vehicle. Dekra attributes this partly to cognitive overload caused by too many functions, but also to the absence of haptic feedback in touchscreens—they cannot be operated blindly.

Brake lights in China must also illuminate during recuperation from 2026. Additionally, several other points were revised: one-pedal driving and mandatory ABS. (Image:Audi AG)

Avoid Distraction

Euro NCAP defines the requirements for vehicle safety in so-called protocols. These include, for example, "Safe Driving," "Crash Avoidance," "Crash Protection," "Assisted Driving," etc.

The protocol "Safe Driving—Driver Engagement" defines "Driver Monitoring" on one hand. This means the HMI constantly observes whether the driver experiences any prolonged distraction or impairment that compromises safety. This involves so-called transient and non-transient driver states. The former refers to long and short distractions caused by operating actions. In the future, it will be assessed how well an HMI helps to avoid distractions.

Non-transient states refer to impairments such as microsleep or otherwise reduced reaction capabilities. Here, the HMI is intended to help detect these states and warn the driver. Such "Driver State Monitoring" must be enabled by default and cannot be turned off with a simple button press. Moreover, it should work for different individuals, taking into account characteristics such as size, gender, facial hair and coverings, or glasses.

Euro NCAP Category "Driving Controls"

The second topic, "Driving Controls," deals with how the vehicle can be operated. First, Euro NCAP defines a prioritization of activities: for example, are you forced to react very quickly due to an external event? Is it about a frequent operation step? Or is an activity uncritical in terms of timing or distraction? Depending on this, it is specified for all functions how they should ideally be operated.

For example, Euro NCAP requires that the windshield wiper can be operated through "direct physical input." This means there must be a physical switch located where drivers would expect it. The same applies to all essential driving and safety-related basic functions such as turn signals, gear lever, hazard lights, horn, or e-call. Operation via touchscreen and menu is only compliant for non-essential functions, such as activating the rear window defroster, but even then only in a maximum of two operation steps.

Another type of operation is "Direct Touch Input" via a touch-sensitive surface. Euro NCAP accepts this, for example, for activating driver assistance systems such as the distance control, seat adjustment, door lock, or operating the air conditioning. However, such a control element must be designed to be "tactilely identifiable" and clearly separated from other functions. Especially for infotainment functions, voice control is also "allowed," but in any case, an alternative input method must be available.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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Nio uses the new steer-by-wire system from ZF in the ET9. (Image:Nio)

Usability as a Purchase Criterion

What do these new testing rules mean for the future star ratings of new vehicle models? Driver Monitoring and Driving Controls will be included in the point evaluation of the Euro NCAP test as part of Safe Driving. Poor performance can then result in the deduction of one star from the overall rating. Hardly any car manufacturer will want to risk this, as even four instead of five stars is a disadvantage in competition with other manufacturers.

Missteps in control concepts, as seen with some manufacturers today, are likely to decrease, and there will be a clearer separation between tactile controls for important functions and the touchscreen for less relevant functions. In an era where cars are increasingly becoming a kind of infotainment living space, it is good news that driving-related functions will see a return to more directly operable buttons and switches. Wanting to handle as much as possible with the touchscreen may save manufacturers production costs, but it does not serve traffic safety.