The weird space between the dash and the glove box

it's just a little zen for your passenger to focus on

 

Ahhh, the great useless shelf mystery!

Seriously though, alanclarkeau is correct. I often do consultancy work for forensic investigators. I've many times seen police pictures of the aftermath of vehicle collisions. Air bag deployment is absolutely 110% something you should never, ever, have anything anywhere near, because the explosive force is very powerful - many times more than a shotgun for example. That object could end up going right through the passengers head, right through the front head rest, right through the rear passenger, right through the rear headrest and right through the glass.

I appreciate the "shelf" is below the deployment area of the airbag, but immediately prior and during a collision things move around in the car.

 

The dash has become a sculpture feature; they’ve lost sight of the form-follows-function maxim.

 

It does happen - in German cars:



On the little tray, I sit the roller-door remote, and occasionally a pencil - if I remember to return it there. But - not that useful.

 

All kinds of weird lil "why is this space here" areas, like above the 'Start' button and behind the phone tray there's a whole gap of space back there. Very weird choices.