Why Place the Hands-Free Button So Far Away?!?

We just bought a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. I love it. One of the best features is uConnect, which among other things allows me to make hands-free phone calls.

What I don't understand is why Chrysler's designers would choose to place this tiny hands-free phone call button at the farthest possible point away from the driver? My hands have travel the farthest distance to hit a very small button. That's doesn't sound like Fitts' Law to me.

There are more sensible locations they could have chosen:

• Place it on the steering wheel.You know, one of two large buttons on the steering wheel itself? It would make sense that you'd want to keep the driver's hands as close to the steering wheel as possible. Specifically, replace the button on the steering wheel that returns the dashboard screen to cardinal directions/temperature. It's redundant--there's already another button on the steering wheel that gets me to the same view. Two buttons to get to the same place? Really? Why?


• Replace the physical up and down "Scan" buttons to the left of the GPS navigation screen. They're much closer to the driver. Also, there are already TWO OTHER BUTTONS for the driver to scan radio stations: a set of buttons on the back side of the steering wheel and a touch screen button.

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