We find it odd that with very few exceptions, key indicators – such as warning lights, speed, RPM, etc. stay tucked behind ever larger, ever more involved steering wheels. Do automobile interior designers believe that everyone drives in a straight line? Perpetually? Or is it useful to put indicators precisely where one will not look? We rarely notice things in front of us; our peripheral vision is much better at picking up anomalies.
Thankfully, people who design aeroplane cockpits understand this. Key indicators are above the joystick, between the pilots as well as just above the windscreen.
This is not to say that the automobile industry is without its occasional shining star. Honda Civics of a particular vintage had key indicators just below the windscreen – far enough that a driver who would typically need reading glasses wouldn’t need them. Before the company’s untimely demise, Saabs had placed some controls in a central panel tilted towards the driver!
At GeCoMo, we are determined to do the right thing. Watch this space.