Modern car dashboards are a killer design flaw. Millions have perfect distance vision but need reading glasses to make sense of tiny, blurry, low-contrast screens. Yet, manufacturers act like everyone sees crystal clear up close. It’s a distraction waiting to wreck lives.
Welcome to the 2020s, where cars are digital cockpits filled with massive glowing screens... and yet, no one’s bothered to ask the simple question: “What if I can’t read this without my reading glasses?”
Manufacturers have rushed to cover every square inch of the dash and center console with sprawling touchscreens and digital readouts ... not for style alone, but because it’s cheaper, flashier, and, honestly, “modern.” Problem is, those icons and controls are a blurry mess for a huge chunk of drivers who have good long-range eyesight, but need reading glasses for anything up close.
Manfacturers are expecting us to read the speed, navigate menus, or flick through settings on their screen while cruising. Many will scoff, but it’s a real safety hazard. Drivers spend literal seconds squinting and focusing on a screen instead of the road. Those seconds are a lifetime when a kid darts out or the traffic shifts suddenly.
There was once an age where driving was pleasurable. Turn left, hit the indicator stalk, turn up the music or the heating, simply turn the know that was dialed into muscle memory. You glanced at the speedo which sat directly in front of you, checked the speed, and moved on. Now, unless you pop on your specs which buggers up your long range vision you need help from the passenger! It’s blinding ignorance from manufacturers.
If you’re stuck with “I can’t see this screen well,” your options are frustratingly limited.