<p><pre><code>  &gt; ... their dashboards are (likely to be) gorgeous and
  &gt; vastly improved over the mostly superfluous dials and 
  &gt; gauges car manufacturers think we need to see (when was 
  &gt; the last time you had to check your RPMs or engine  
  &gt; temperature?).
</code></pre>
Being aware of engine RPMs and temperature is important.<p>I&#x27;m all for better interfaces. Personally, I drive a diesel Volkswagen and having a customizable dashboard that could provide access to additional engine parameters and sensors, such as I can access today with a laptop connected using Vag-Com (see <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ross-tech.com" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ross-tech.com</a>) could be useful. But the key is to provide better situational awareness for the driver, not more distractions.<p>In the US alone, more than 40k people die every year and millions are injured while operating or riding in these machines. Self-driving cars may be the future in some urban areas and on interstates, but we need to continue to optimize vehicles for drivers, not make them into more distracting spaces where people can continue to indulge their addictions to communication and media consumption.