WHY DO SOME US States ban windscreen mounts?

peasemore

Anyone know for the windscreen mounts being illegal in parts of USA?
I know Darren is reviewing bean bag mounts.
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Gel
Lifetime Member Thames Valley, Berkshire, UK
Mazda CX-5 built in SatNav- not sure if TT or not. Garmin NUVI in reserve.

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject:

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....

Andy_P · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject:

What about the rear view mirror itself? Twisted Evil

MaFt · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:53 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:14 am Post subject:

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!
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Darren Griffin

M8TJT · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:51 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:57 am Post subject:

Ah, so you have seen MaFt's car then ;)
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Darren Griffin

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

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 · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:09 am Post subject:

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

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

It is sad that I borrowed a SatNav on a suction disk to see what others see!!! Embarassed

...

Darren · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:51 am Post subject:

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

MaFt · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:17 am Post subject:

from my nuvi710 review:

no view impeding :D

MaFt

ps - you can also see monkey in the lower left of the image ;)

M8TJT · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:48 pm Post subject:

MaFt, lucky you are not actually moving, or you might have run over the cat in thge middle of the road behind the satnav. Wink

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. Sad

GJF · Frequent Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2007 Posts: 894

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.
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