No, you should not use a car's touchscreen for complex tasks while driving. It is both dangerous and, in many places, illegal. The primary risk is driver distraction, which is a leading cause of accidents. Even a few seconds looking away from the road to adjust climate controls or input a navigation address significantly increases crash risk. Most states have enacted distracted driving laws that specifically prohibit the use of electronic devices, and while these often target handheld phones, interacting with an infotainment system can also be cited if it impairs your driving.
The problem lies in the type of attention required. Manual distraction (taking your hands off the wheel) and visual distraction (taking your eyes off the road) are compounded by cognitive distraction (your mind focusing on the menu instead of driving). Modern vehicles often include lock-out features that disable certain screen functions like video playback or keyboard entry once the car is in motion to mitigate this risk.
The safest practice is to use voice commands for navigation and audio controls, which minimize physical and visual distraction. For any other adjustments, such as changing the temperature or fan speed, it is far safer to use physical knobs and buttons that you can operate by feel without looking. If you must use the touchscreen, pull over to a safe location first.
| State | Hand-Held Phone Ban? | Texting Ban? | Enforcement Type |
|---|
| California | Yes (all drivers) | Yes (all drivers) | Primary |
| New York | Yes (all drivers) | Yes (all drivers) | Primary |
| Texas | No (statewide) | Yes (all drivers) | Primary |
| Florida | No (statewide) | Yes (all drivers) | Primary |
| Arizona | No (statewide) | Yes (school zone only) | Primary |
