Carmakers are equipping their latest models with fancy touchscreens, but that could cause problems with Europe’s largest car safety authority.

The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) is revamping its rating system starting Jan. 1, 2026 to mandate that five of a car’s primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.

Car models will have to comply to get NCAP’s coveted five-star rating. The scheme is voluntary but is heeded by most automakers because it’s closely monitored by consumers.

Belgium-based NCAP says that purely digital controls are a potential safety issue.

    • xpinchx@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I’m sincerely appreciative of everything they do for consumers as a whole. Not everything makes it across the pond but at the very least it sets precedent and a lot of the groundwork is done if our politicians ever decide to get their shit together and give us a ground to stand on against corporations and lobbyists.

      A guy can dream.

    • я не из калининграда@lemmy.ml
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      9 months ago

      except of course for the blatant racism against non-western people, the current shift towards neofash politics (meloni etc), the militarization and the impeding economic collapse.

      how do liberals manage to ignore problems so efficiently?

      • Syrc@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        except of course for the blatant racism against non-western people, the current shift towards neofash politics (meloni etc), the militarization and the impeding economic collapse.

        All of which already happen in the US, but worse.

        The entire world sucks, can’t we be happy of living in a place that sucks a bit less?

        • я не из калининграда@lemmy.ml
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          9 months ago

          i do acknowledge that that things are worse in the us, but that doesnt make the deficiencies in europe any better. one shouldnt just accept that the world sucks, but start fighting for a better one. just look at cubas success

          • Syrc@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            We are fighting for a better one. All those recent EU regulations are doing exactly that.

            I’d love if we could address those issues you’ve listed too, since they’re obviously more important, but it seems really hard until the european left actually wakes up and starts promoting actual candidates.

      • dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de
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        9 months ago

        Racism? Sure there is some racism but Europe is hella diverse bro.

        I live in the UK and I’m proud that Manchester is multi-cultural. Don’t listen to the headlines, most of us ain’t racist.

        Where you from dude? Just wondering if you should or should not be throwing stones at glass houses.

        • я не из калининграда@lemmy.ml
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          9 months ago

          im living in central europe but am of eastern european descent. due to looking “white” i usually get less discrimination than my turkish and arab friends, but its still way harder to get a job or higher education for non-native people, as higher pay positions are almost exclusively reserved for westerners. it is also harder to get a decent apartment with a foreign sounding name and in case of legal matters you can bet that the cops will rather believe the word of a native than yours.