4 ms·

>that range is only 43% of my analog speedometer. I don't know why electronic display isn't more of a thing. My 13 year old Toyota displays the number using LE

>that range is only 43% of my analog speedometer. I don't know why electronic display isn't more of a thing. My 13 year old Toyota displays the number using LED lights, it's far easier to read.

tracker1 8y ago
It takes more effort to read a number, than a relative position on a gauge. Yeah, you don't know the exact speed, but you do know the rough speed while taking your eyes off the road and being distracted for less time. Of course, a lot of new cars can do both. ;-)
- mcast 8y ago
  I used to own a Honda Civic with a large digital speedometer above the steering wheel. With my eyes focused on the road, I could see the speed I was traveling at. Of course, newer cars have HUD speedometers which project your speed onto your windshield glass.
- scotty79 8y ago
  No it's not. Digital display makes me costantly aware of my speed. Analog gauge makes me focus on 1cm of length and bunch of nearby numbers to figure out the speed. And for rough estimation I just look outside.
benj111 8y ago
Personally I prefer analog. I think its mainly down to analog giving you feedback as to whether you're increasing or decreasing in speed. If I'm approaching a speed camera in a 30mph zone, a glance at an analog speedo, and peripheral vision to confirm it isn't increasing is enough. Digital I need at least 2 full readings. Plus you have a spacial element to analog speedos. I know where 30mph is, I don't need to read 30mph.
julianz 8y ago
Many studies show that's not really true, it takes you longer to read and process the number than an analog dial. You don't notice the time it takes though.
- zaroth 8y ago
  I was just thinking about these purported studies this weekend. My wife’s car has an analog speedometer in the left and a center digital display between the speedometer and the tach which can show many things, one of which is a nice big digital speed indicator. When the digital display is showing something else it takes me 2x-3x as much time to ascertain the current speed from the speedometer. I think the studies are possibly being influenced by people’s familiarity with speedometers in cars. If you asked someone to tell you the temperature in the room and gave them an analog gauge and a digital display, which one would be faster? Once you acclimate to the digital display I’ve found I can read it faster and more precisely. It may be possible to see “under 60” on the gauge faster than read “57” on the display, but I doubt even that. And when I’m trying to check or set my speed to be exactly 9 over the limit, the digital is much, much faster.
  - hrktb 8y ago
    I think with enough time spent in a specific car, most drivers don’t really look at the numbers and more at the general direction of the dial. Basically your “under 60” example. It’s facilitated if you mentaly divide in quadrants: you can identify the first bold tick above the horizontal middle line as 60 for instance, and it becomes extremely quick to know if you’re under, at, or above 60, at one two units of error at most. You’ll also only need to remember two or three relevant positions. I tbink digital is fine, I’d just see optimisations when on analog in this specific use case (but it needs to be center and big and clear, a small dial on the side is bothersome)

>that range is only 43% of my analog speedometer. I don't know why electronic display isn't more of a thing. My 13 year old Toyota displays the number using LED lights, it's far easier to read.

tracker1 8y ago

It takes more effort to read a number, than a relative position on a gauge. Yeah, you don't know the exact speed, but you do know the rough speed while taking your eyes off the road and being distracted for less time. Of course, a lot of new cars can do both. ;-)

mcast 8y ago
I used to own a Honda Civic with a large digital speedometer above the steering wheel. With my eyes focused on the road, I could see the speed I was traveling at. Of course, newer cars have HUD speedometers which project your speed onto your windshield glass.
scotty79 8y ago
No it's not. Digital display makes me costantly aware of my speed. Analog gauge makes me focus on 1cm of length and bunch of nearby numbers to figure out the speed. And for rough estimation I just look outside.

benj111 8y ago

Personally I prefer analog. I think its mainly down to analog giving you feedback as to whether you're increasing or decreasing in speed. If I'm approaching a speed camera in a 30mph zone, a glance at an analog speedo, and peripheral vision to confirm it isn't increasing is enough. Digital I need at least 2 full readings. Plus you have a spacial element to analog speedos. I know where 30mph is, I don't need to read 30mph.

julianz 8y ago

Many studies show that's not really true, it takes you longer to read and process the number than an analog dial. You don't notice the time it takes though.

zaroth 8y ago
I was just thinking about these purported studies this weekend. My wife’s car has an analog speedometer in the left and a center digital display between the speedometer and the tach which can show many things, one of which is a nice big digital speed indicator. When the digital display is showing something else it takes me 2x-3x as much time to ascertain the current speed from the speedometer. I think the studies are possibly being influenced by people’s familiarity with speedometers in cars. If you asked someone to tell you the temperature in the room and gave them an analog gauge and a digital display, which one would be faster? Once you acclimate to the digital display I’ve found I can read it faster and more precisely. It may be possible to see “under 60” on the gauge faster than read “57” on the display, but I doubt even that. And when I’m trying to check or set my speed to be exactly 9 over the limit, the digital is much, much faster.
- hrktb 8y ago
  I think with enough time spent in a specific car, most drivers don’t really look at the numbers and more at the general direction of the dial. Basically your “under 60” example. It’s facilitated if you mentaly divide in quadrants: you can identify the first bold tick above the horizontal middle line as 60 for instance, and it becomes extremely quick to know if you’re under, at, or above 60, at one two units of error at most. You’ll also only need to remember two or three relevant positions. I tbink digital is fine, I’d just see optimisations when on analog in this specific use case (but it needs to be center and big and clear, a small dial on the side is bothersome)