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peasemore Lifetime Member
Joined: Aug 03, 2007 Posts: 379 Location: Berkshire
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject: WHY DO SOME US States ban windscreen mounts? |
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Anyone know for the windscreen mounts being illegal in parts of USA?
I know Darren is reviewing bean bag mounts. _________________ Gel
Lifetime Member Thames Valley, Berkshire, UK
Mazda CX-5 built in SatNav- not sure if TT or not. Garmin NUVI in reserve. |
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PaulB2005 Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 04, 2006 Posts: 9323 Location: Durham, UK
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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As far as i understand it, it a general law that no object may be placed so as to obscure any part of the drivers view through the windscreen. This includes objects hanging from the rear view mirror.... |
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Andy_P Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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What about the rear view mirror itself? |
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MaFt Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 15155 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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PaulB2005 wrote: | As far as i understand it, it a general law that no object may be placed so as to obscure any part of the drivers view through the windscreen. |
same as in the uk though?
MaFt |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Indeed we have regulations that prohibit anything from being affixed to the windscreen where it may impede or obscure a drivers view.
Seeing the idiotic places that some drivers choose to place their satnav's never ceases to amaze me! _________________ Darren Griffin |
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M8TJT The Other Tired Old Man
Joined: Apr 04, 2006 Posts: 10118 Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: | Seeing the idiotic places that some drivers choose to place their satnav's never ceases to amaze me! |
And fluffy dice and cuddly toys nand the other chav adornments hanging from the mirror. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:57 am Post subject: |
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Ah, so you have seen MaFt's car then ;) _________________ Darren Griffin |
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missing_user
Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:59 am Post subject: |
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During a MOT test, any damage to the windscreen in the area covered by the wipers could result in a failiure notice.
In my opinion, any SatNav fixed to the windscreen in the area covered by the wipers is a hazzard to all vehicles outside the car! The large square units may cover 4" x 4" of your windscreen but block off the vision at 300yds, enough to hide a child, pedestrian, motorcycle or car!
How often has the Road Fund licence holder blocked off your view?
Interesting, in a recent accident I witnessed the Police photographing the SatNav placed on the windscreen. As I knew the officer, I asked a question. The reply was that the unit could have blocked the view of the driver. It was placed midway between the driving mirror and the dashboard!!
Can we justify taking a risk by placing SatNav, mobile phones and reversing monitors in 'our line of sight'?
Will we get away with it during an Insurance Claim?
Two photos of my unit.
Photo #1 before the availability of the RAM mount.
Photo #2 with new RAM mount and 12v charging availability.
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MaFt Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 15155 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:09 am Post subject: |
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i'll ignore that daren... all i have is my pg tips monkey stuffed at the bottom of the windscreen and jammed in by the dash!!
persnally i put the satnav(s) in the bottom right of the screen (direct opposite to the tax disc) for the following reasons:
1) doesn't block the view
2) that's where i fed the power cable!!
3) i can reach it easily with my right little finger with hands still on wheel if needed
4) i can have a cursory glance at the screen on the way to looking in my wing mirror
the only downside is i'm paranoid some toe-rag will swipe it at the traffic lights!!
MaFt |
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missing_user
Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: |
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It is sad that I borrowed a SatNav on a suction disk to see what others see!!!
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: |
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strumble wrote: | It is sad that I borrowed a SatNav on a suction disk to see what others see!!! |
There are locations you can place them on the windscreen that don't impede your view, they do not have to be stuck half way up the windscreen! _________________ Darren Griffin |
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missing_user
Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Quote: | ........The reply was that the unit could have blocked the view of the driver. It was placed midway between the driving mirror and the dashboard!! |
I was trying to emulate the incident above. |
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MaFt Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 15155 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:17 am Post subject: |
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from my nuvi710 review:
no view impeding :D
MaFt
ps - you can also see monkey in the lower left of the image ;) |
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M8TJT The Other Tired Old Man
Joined: Apr 04, 2006 Posts: 10118 Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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MaFt, lucky you are not actually moving, or you might have run over the cat in thge middle of the road behind the satnav.
I'm not convinced thet the tax disk analogy is relevant either, becauso on most vehicles, with the exception of flat fronted vehicles, you have already hit or passed anything obscured by the tax disk. However, as shown in MaFt's photo, the satnav on the right hand side IS obscuring the view, albeit minimally, but minimal use of a mobile phone will get you points. |
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GJF Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 08, 2007 Posts: 894
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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I'm with strumble and M8TJT, I have seen loads of Sat Navs fitted higher on the screen than the four pictures shown in strumble's example.
I have a Drive Smart that sits in the centre directly on the dash, but is only 50mm high, it is fixed with an anti-slip base and three suction caps, additionally it has three very tight cables behind fixed under the dash.
I have a job removing it to update it.
Also when i'm sitting in the car, the top doesn't protrude any higher than the bonnet and wipers and doesn't affect my vision.
It isn't just the obscured vision argument, I wonder what happens when the car is involved in an accident?
I can see a heavy object swinging around on a length of loose flex!
My Garmin Sat Nav is on a Brodit mount, fixed (no suction) on the front of the dash, no impaired vision and secured low down incase of an accident.
Knowing how bad some of the suction caps are in attaching to the glass screen in hot & cold conditions, (plenty of posts on this site) i feel that some drivers are carrying a lethal weapon and putting both themselves and passengers at high risk if they were involved in an accident. _________________ TomTom Go 60
Garmin Nüvi 660, Firmware v4.90
Drive-Smart GPS with Loader v1.4.16
HTC Advantage X7500 MS 6.1 Tchart Speed Sentry
Satmap Active 10, Software v1.16
Fuzion 32 HUD Bluetooth GPS receiver |
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