Trucks: Dashboard and range of view

While I'm not opposed to a modern dash, there's something to be said for the older style dashes, and that is that they are much closer to your normal field of vision. Some of these new trucks the gauges are so low that a glance down moves the road quite far into peripheral vision rather than out of focus at the edge of your field of view. And that's a huge difference that effects reaction times. Sure the visibility is nice, but at what cost?

 

The most "visible" dash I've ever seen was on a school bus. Don't remember the model, anyways it was running as a parking lot shuttle for an event, I was sitting right behind the front passenger doors and noticed that the dash was literally just tall enough for the gauges, which were next to the steering column. Like the gauge cluster was to the right of the steering wheel.
Edit: Did some Googling, looks like it was a Thomas Saf T Liner. Dash looks like this:

 

I drive a 2019 VNL760 for over a year. Here's my ideas (BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE VOLVOS!!!!).
1. In the upper left hand corner of the dash is the turbo boost gage, in the upper right corner is the applied brake pressure gage. When I tilt the steering wheel to where it is comfortable for me, the steering wheel obstructs the view of these 2 gages. Fortunately, I don't consider them super important, so being unable to monitor them without effort is ok with me. But, seems kind of wasted to have gages in places that is so easy to get blocked from your view.
2. My Volvo does not have an air gage on the suspension. Unsure if this is normal and that gage isn't available, or if it is just my specific model missing that gage, but it would be nice to have that gage available.
3. To dim or brighten the center digital panel, the controls on the right hand side of the steering wheel must be utilized, which is just fine. But, you have to do go to a menu, select an option and then go to a submenu before your can get to the brightness control. I would very much like to see that brightness control not require going to a separate submenu, having to scroll down the the bottom option before actually getting to that control. I adjust that control regularly when changing from night and day driving. A control like this that is used frequently, it shouldn't be buried in a submenu.
4. The center digital display has 4 separate customizable areas where the driver can select which gage or trip meter is displayed. I REALLY REALLY like that and would like having even more customizable display spaces and more actual display options.
OK, those are my suggestions and feedback in a nutshell. I'll head over now to the survey and take that. But, often surveys of this kind do not allow for the necessary feedback. So, though I'd add it here.

OK, survey taken. Hope it helps. Love my Volvo and enjoy seeing new and better models. I am not like many truckers that prefer it all remain old school.

 

Your first question gives options for
0-3 years
9-20 years
21+ years

You seem to be chopping out 3-9 year drivers, this is hopefully a simple oversight, but its also not showing me a whole lot of confidence in your ability to think through simple tasks.

The design adage "kiss" is key, (keep it simple stupid) is probably best here. Not necessarily that drivers are dumb, but more that things kept simple are harder to mess up.

That said, things i want in a dash

1. No having reaching to hit any neccessary buttons, thats literally all of them. If i have to reach in a way that distorts my view of the road, thats bad.
2. For everything, a physical switch. Do NOT put your headlight switch in the touchscreen. This includes the radio, volume needs to be a dial or switch. Under no circumstances should your heater controls not at least be manual at point of use, digitize it after user input if you must, but dont make the eyes leave the road (Tangentially related, include an option to dim the headlights instead of flashing your brights)
3. Keep your steering wheel design in mind if you put any instrument gauges behind it, i was in a truck that the bulky smart steering wheel (with broken controls within 2 years) actually obstructed half of the speedometer and tachometer. And every other gauge i wanted to look at i had to move my head around right or left to see. Dumb design.

4. Dash lights need to be able to go all the way to 0.
Keep blue or white lights incandescent if they must be there, blue leds especially draw the eye and mess with vision in the cab. I like the blue color, but orange or red (even leds) seem to be better for not messing with low light night driving.

5. Do NOT put traction control or suspension dump switches right next to the headlights/marker light switches. Thats a recipe for disaster.
6. Not strictly about the instrument panel, but the horn shouldnt be too easy to activate. Ive driven cars that i cut the horn switch on because it was so touchy just hitting a bump or running my hand over the center of the steering wheel activated it.

 

The Volvo Truck "air horn" lacks an authoritative tone. I would like to see that changed.

 

Yes, but the placement of the air horn on the steering wheel instead of a wire in the upper left was a well though out concept.

I do not want to hunt for the air horn, I just want to press in the center.