A friend of mine recently purchased a new car. He picked me up and we went for a ride. It was a comfortable ride, but what got my attention were all the gizmos, doodads and what-nots that seemingly filled every inch of the dashboard.

He saw me checking out the dashboard and said, “It certainly has all the bells and whistles.” He laughed when I replied, “I’m surprised it doesn’t have a built-in microwave.” Compared to his high-tech vehicle, my high-mileage ride looks like something Fred Flintstone drove.

The dashboard can trace its roots back to the days of horse drawn carriages. The bumpy ride on cobblestones caused mud and water to splash up on the driver and passengers. So, carriage makers used to install a wooden plank aboard to prevent this splashing from reaching the interior.

When the automobile started to become popular, the dashboard began changing from functionality to added incentives to buy that particular car. Early car dashboards were uncluttered panels that hosted only essential things such as a rudimentary speedometer, the basic steering mechanism and in some cases an oil lamp so you would be seen at night.

Also included in the no frills layout of the first dashboards were ignition switches and choke valves to monitor the engine. Eventually they decided it was good to have a fuel gauge, so you knew how much gasoline you had in the tank.

Moving throughout the 20th century dashboards witnessed a significant increase in features and complexity. The first major leap was the addition of a radio which made driving an experience that gave you entertainment and news. 

Eventually, manufacturers used the dashboard to present their own unique identity brand and appeal to the taste of a more style conscious consumer.

But dashboard design took a quantum leap in the 21st century with the advent of the digital revolution. It has allowed drivers to fundamentally change how they interact with their vehicle dashboards. Analog dials, buttons and switches gave way to complicated digital displays and touch screens. They offer a complete interactive driving experience that allows drivers to access a wide range of information. Touch a screen or verbally say a command to get real time traffic updates or make a phone call. 

Some cars even have the ability to parallel park by just pressing a button. I remember living in Manhattan when it would take half an hour to squeeze my car into a parking space that had two inches of clearance in front and back. I would slowly inch my car towards the curb until I was satisfied and relieved that I found a parking space. 

Even the design of your headlights can be selected using the technology on your dashboard. You can select from a variety of headlight patterns that would provide you with better visibility and show off your creativity. Regarding headlights, they should have a built-in function so that if you have your high beams on and a car is coming in the other direction your beams would lower automatically. 

Sometimes innovative technology backfires. I recently rented a car to drive to a family function a long distance away. The car had a keyless ignition system. The motor was on when I got in. About 10 minutes later I pulled into a donut shop for a cup of coffee. Getting back in the car I could not get the engine to start up. I had to call the rent-a-car place and luckily a mechanic of theirs met me at Dunkin’ Donuts. He showed me once again what button to press and when to put my foot on the brake. It made me long for those days of holding a key in my hand, turning on my AM radio and manually lowering the windows to cool off the inside of the car.

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.