After complaints about touchscreen controls, automaker Ford says it will return to physical radio tuning knobs and buttons in its car entertainment systems.

The complaints center on the difficulty of using the MyFord Touch touchscreen multimedia systems offered on some vehicles models beginning in 2011.

Physical buttons and knobs will make a return with upcoming redesigns of existing models, a top Ford executive said.

Ford has been in the vanguard of installing mobile-phone-based technologies, voice recognition and touchscreens in its vehicles, and while they have been a big selling point on showroom floors, problems with the systems have dragged down the company's reputation for quality.

As Ford redesigns its vehicles, the flat control panels that have brought complaints of difficulty changing radio stations or adjusting volume will have more physical buttons and knobs and the main screen will become simpler, Ford officials said.

"We've been able to spend a lot of time with customers to find what exactly are the areas that are bothering them," Raj Nair, Ford's global product development chief, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Drivers say they'd accept longer drive times for less stress
Berlin (UPI) Jun 17, 2013 - Drivers in Germany said in a survey they're willing to accept longer journey times and even detours if it means a stress-free commute.

In a study carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems along with the Berlin Technical University into driving habits and attitudes towards road traffic, two-thirds of respondents said they would rather have a stress-free trip even if it meant adding more than 3 minutes to their journey.

Seventy-five percent said they would even be willing to take a detour, a Fraunhofer release said Monday.

In the survey, 120 motorists had agreed to provide information about their driving habits and attitudes towards road traffic.

Researchers said the findings suggest compelling reasons to develop automotive communication technologies that will guide motorists around streets in a manner that evens out traffic flows and produces environmentally friendly traffic patterns.

The scientists said they are working on systems that can help motorists avoid traffic jams and take routes that result in the smallest amount of exhaust emissions, using advance traffic warnings and driving recommendations sent to their navigation system or smartphone.