Euro NCAP's new rules: Physical buttons are back for safer cars
Big change coming to car safety in Europe—starting January 2026, Euro NCAP will only give top safety ratings to cars that provide real, physical buttons or switches for key functions such as indicators, hazard lights, horn, wipers, and emergency calls.
Touchscreen-only setups for these essential controls won't make the cut anymore, as the focus shifts to keeping drivers less distracted and more in control.
Why physical controls matter
Euro NCAP's Matthew Avery points out that too much touchscreen use pulls your eyes off the road, raising accident risks.
So now, things like indicators, hazard lights, horn, wipers, and emergency calls must have actual buttons or switches you can find without thinking.
Smarter design gets rewarded
Cars will also score extra if climate and volume controls are easy to reach and use without searching around.
Plus, driver monitoring tech that spots if you're distracted or drowsy will be given significantly more weight in the new scoring system.
Testing is getting tougher—and more real
Crash tests will now consider different body types—including kids and older adults—using both real vehicles and advanced simulations.
Speed-limit detection systems must also prove themselves on actual roads instead of just test tracks.