From 2026, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) will introduce new testing rules that will require vehicles to have physical controls for basic functions like turn signals and windscreen wipers to earn a full five-star safety rating.

Touchscreens inside vehicles have become commonplace. More and more basic vehicle controls have moved away from physical buttons to an icon on a touchscreen.

While using a touchscreen is easy to access and user-friendly, it does require the user to take their eyes off the road, however brief that may be.

This has become a concern for Euro NCAP – an independent safety body for the automotive industry, which assesses vehicles and provides a five-star safety rating system to help users compare vehicles and identify the safest choice for their needs.

As of January 2026, this safety regulator is introducing new rules that will require the vehicles it assesses to have physical controls for basic functions to receive the maximum five-star safety rating...