You shouldn't be changing the navigation settings while driving. If your navigation settings were on your phone it would obviously be illegal, and just because it's in a separate device (no matter the sort) that doesn't make it acceptable.

As for the AC, it's a bit more complicated.

I have a touch screen in my car, but pretty much all the functions can be accessed by buttons in the center console or steering wheel.

Touchscreens in cars are a really stupid idea.

Don’t forget, in a Tesla, you even need to use the iPad to adjust where the AC vents are pointing!

These to a fucking tea. And cause it's a flat touch screen you can't even feel your way around to the correct settings while looking at the road.

I'll happily have no screen and old analog controls, and yes, I realise I sound like an old man yelling at clouds.

It's even funnier when you need to reboot the car while driving, because the browser crashed and the interface became unresponsive

On some Teslas, even the gear selection is done through the touchscreen. Fucking awful design.

In case you don't yet know, touchscreens are mostly cost saving measures. They're incredibly cheaper than physical controls, and so every company wants them.

There's also quite a bit of reliable data on touchscreens negatively impacting drivers' performance, as well as substantially increasing the likelihood of crashes. Which only the EU and China seem to care about.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198226000382

Welcome to 2026, where China actually looks at academic research, and introduces safety laws, while the US disregards anything but billionaires' profits.

In my opinion, touchscreens in cars are very cool, but only for navigation and minor features such as radio or ambient lighting controls. I know a lot of people might crucify me for calling radio a minor feature, but it's not critical for the driver's ability to drive safely.

If Elon decreed that the Tesla iPad would now also give the driver, say, a prediction market gambling feature or X-rated AI chatbot or something, there’s nothing any government would do to stop him*, because after all he is a visionary genius and was a trillionaire and you can’t argue with the invisible hand of the free market.

* the US and UK would wave it through, because you can’t hold up the inevitability of the future. The EU would grumble, though might fold under the threat of tariffs.

My favorite thing is the cop cars that have an actual fucking laptop set up next to the driver. Nothing distracting about that, no sir.

Hence why I bought a car with, according to all the reviewers, a "dated interior". Just what I wanted: lots of buttons and knobs! There is an 'infotainment' touch screen, but I can ignore that.

Depending on your country, it might also make you liable. Not every judiciary system is like that.

In the UK that would be a distracted driving charge.

Which is a hefty 6 penalty points, half way to getting disqualified from driving.