Physical Controls, Touch Controls, Voice Control, and Menu Depth

Physical controls, touch controls, voice control and menu depth describe different ways to operate vehicle functions: physical controls move mechanically, touch controls use a surface target, voice uses spoken commands, and menu depth counts navigation steps. No method is inherently safe because location, feedback, response time and total task demand matter; stable direct access is especially valuable for frequent or time-critical actions; see Cockpit Design and Physical Controls.

Sources

• NHTSA — Visual-Manual Driver Distraction Guidelines