Smartphones have already increased distracted driving; it’s concerning to see both automotive and tech companies seemingly encourage the trend.
The Books app you see here is actually Apple's AudioBooks.
The problem with this, of course, is that it runs counter to the continuous consumption much of this industry has been built upon. Apple could probably pull it off if they wanted, given their ability to curb stomp companies into compliance, but they would have to actually want to do it and resist the constant stream of investors asking "why not increase upselling opportunities in the CarPlay UI?"
Much the same way that vinyl records are back in vogue, I wouldn't be surprised if someday some luxury car brands started advertising physical controls for minimal distractions someday, given the direction the entire automotive industry seems to be headed. Hopefully my old Toyota will keep on chugging until we see a physical resurgence, I can't stand the way automakers are trying to shove everything onto a single screen to cut costs.
Also, that's audiobooks, not iBooks.
By comparison a larger resolution and UI restrictions on controls and apps make this outcome safer. A lot of apps and gestures on a phone don’t work in auto mode.
But hey, I purposefully sought to purchase a (manual) car a couple years ago that did not have a center screen, so clearly my opinion is in the minority.