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The interaction between human operator and equipment in general can be made easier or harder depending on the effectiveness of the interface used for this interaction. The present work focuses on this interface - the so called ‘Human-Machine-Interface’ (HMI) for a specific set of equipments: the vehicles (passenger cars and commercial road vehicles). Vehicles need to be driven by professional and amateur drivers. The HMI of the vehicle needs, thus, to be adequate to a wide variety of drivers, allowing for a safe and enjoyable ride. The design of such an HMI must then consider several aspects that are human centered (physiological, psychological, sociological…) and machine centered (technological). The present work discusses briefly these aspects, their dynamics. The analysis of both vehicles and some other technology products are analyzed, and the trend of vehicle HMI's is drawn on a broad sense.

Traffic accidents cause significant material and social losses. Reducing accidents requires actions in different fronts and involves multiple players, and is not a straightforward task. In spite of this, both in developed and also in development countries, plans are being put in place to reduce these losses. This paper discusses shortly the efforts to reduce accidents, and presents some of trends and the features that electronic modules have made possible, that are aimed to increase road safety.