Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Europe Chapter
Bad Ergonomics - Example 19

Speedometer
digital speed display

It's amazing that this speedometer (top of image, middle) actually made it to the market. In ergonomics it is well known that a digital display for speed is not a good interface as

  • there is no need to have speed information at 1 km/h accuracy (in fact, small changes in speed can be distracting)
  • when accelerating you do not get as much information on speed increase as you would receive from a moving needle over an analogue scale

Submitted by Niels Taatgen

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