I have the feeling safety would be an issue if I was fumbling around for the defroster menu item in the mountains rather than having it at hand when my windshield was rapidly fogging up--in any vehicle. (Ask me about my trip to Laramie, WY last week.) Driving off a cliff would be a bad day, too. What about the battery overheating indicator? I would rather that be in front of me too in an electric car. A chime could help in this situation, but what if people where honking at you while seeing smoke coming from your vehicle?
BTW, did you notice the redundant mechanical instrument cluster in the Cessna Mustang (located above the display with the map)--another design element that increases safety if you have a primary display failure...