where to put your incar GPSr

Fuddley · Post by **Fuddley** » 22 January 09 7:44 pm

Did anyone see the article on Extra (5.30pm last night on WIN/NINE) They were reporting on the use on GPSr in cars, it would appear that it may be illegal to have on stuck on your windscreen or on top of the dashboard, as it could be considered to be obstructing your view. Both the NSW and QLD police are looking into the use of these items in cars and it is suggested that laws may be put in place regulating there use.

mtrax · Post by **mtrax** » 22 January 09 8:16 pm

I believe in some US states its already illegal

Bundyrumandcoke · Post by **Bundyrumandcoke** » 22 January 09 8:35 pm

I cant see how, if the top edge of the Satnav doesnt protrude above the leading edge of the bonnet, it could be obstructing your forward vision, as the only thing you can see through that part of the screen is the bonnet. Easy to do in a 4wd, less so in a 2wd.

Webguy · Post by **Webguy** » 23 January 09 12:02 am

PLUS!! You hardly have to take your eyes off the road when it is up there, imagine it down near the console, long ways to take your eyes off the road to down there!!

Bundyrumandcoke · Post by **Bundyrumandcoke** » 23 January 09 3:04 am

Whats next, why not ban the use of all flip down sun visors, they certainly obstruct your forward vision. Just going to be another form of revenue raising.

ArgusTuft · Post by **ArgusTuft** » 23 January 09 3:25 am

Bundyrumandcoke wrote:Whats next, why not ban the use of all flip down sun visors, they certainly obstruct your forward vision. Just going to be another form of revenue raising.

Why stop at sun visors? Why not ban sunglasses? They obstruct vision with frames and tinting. Why not ban eyelids? They totally obstruck your vision for ~200mS every time you blink. Why not ban necks. After all, they allow you to turn your head so you're not looking ahead.
I get utterly fed up with the "just another form of revenue raising" attitude. These laws are introduced to prevent (or , at least, reduce) accidents. Most people who use the JAFORR arguement do so because they are the ones' breaking the relevant law!

Crisp image · Post by **Crisp image** » 23 January 09 9:13 am

If places in a sensible plave where it is a glance to the GPS and it does not inpeed the view of the driver it shouild be ok. In my car the gps is hard to mound so it is not above the bonnet line however in my wifes car we dont have a problem. I do object the them being placed high on the windscreen. I saw one mounted near the height if the mirror which would obstruct my view and most others as well.
This is my opionon and that is all.
Regards
Crisp Image

Big Matt and Shell · Post by **Big Matt and Shell** » 23 January 09 9:58 am

This is almost laughable. Our GPS (an Oregon) is mounted as the others suggest so that it maily obscures the bonnet and would take up less vision of the road than say the bonnet "lump" on Shells (or the police's) XR8 or the bonnet scoop on a WRX. <B>Or better yet the radar, siren control mounted on the dash of every police car highway car or the strobe lights that are so large they require 4 suction caps for every unmarked car.....</B><p>NSW and QLD legislators wake up to yourselves!

Wingaap · Post by **Wingaap** » 23 January 09 11:11 am

No problems with the proposed regulations....it may put paid to the increasing trend of attaching/mounting the gps at the height of the rear vision mirror.

Have you noticed the size of some of these mounts? Geeesh some of them look like they would hold a laptop rather than a gps.

Me...I've made up a mount which enables my gps to sit level with the top of the instrument pod.

stealth_ninja_penguin · Post by **stealth_ninja_penguin** » 23 January 09 11:57 am

Some 'in car' GPSr manuals (and displayed on the units themselves) state that they are not to be used while the car is in motion. Most also have voice prompts so the driver doesn't have to look at the screen and hence they don't need to be placed where they can be easily viewed.

There was a driver safety campaign a couple of years ago with the slogan "Good drivers just drive". To me and IMHO it makes sense so the less distractions such as using mobile phones etc, the better. Ever been involved in a near miss by an inattentive driver?

Maybe put the unit in the corner of the windscreen (rather than in the middle of it as some ppl do) and refer to it when stationary. Problem solved

jusojara · Post by **jusojara** » 23 January 09 5:04 pm

stealth_ninja_penguin wrote: Maybe put the unit in the corner of the windscreen (rather than in the middle of it as some ppl do) and refer to it when stationary. Problem solved

I mount my Sat Nav in the bottom right corner of the windscreen. It doesn't sit any higher than the top of my bullbar.<p>It is actually in the same position that a HUD speedo was in a Nissan Bluebird model some time ago.

stealth_ninja_penguin wrote: Some 'in car' GPSr manuals (and displayed on the units themselves) state that they are not to be used while the car is in motion. Most also have voice prompts so the driver doesn't have to look at the screen and hence they don't need to be placed where they can be easily viewed.

I sometimes need to glance at the map to see just which 'right turn in 500m' it is talking about when I am in an unfamiliar city. It is not much different to glancing down at my speedo to ensure I am under the speed limit, or to check my fuel guage (both of which are actually lower down).

Lucy · Post by **Lucy** » 23 January 09 5:19 pm

stealth_ninja_penguin wrote:Some 'in car' GPSr manuals (and displayed on the units themselves) state that they are not to be used while the car is in motion.

It says operated on ours, and I read that to mean that you don't fiddle with settings, try to program it etc. while on the move.

Like josojara, My GPSr sits in the corner of the windscreen, obscures only bonnet, and is at the same height as the rest of my instruments. Using it is no worse than checking my Speedometer.

Bundyrumandcoke · Post by **Bundyrumandcoke** » 23 January 09 8:19 pm

So, I am guilty of having my Navman BELOW the level of the DASHBOARD TOP, which is BELOW the lower edge of the windscreen. The highest part of all these is the windscreen mounts, which are all mounted at the lowest point of the centre of the windscreen, BELOW the apparent line of the front of the bonnet. My spotlights on my bullbar obstruct my view more.

As I said, its just another way of raising revenue. The powers that be have seen the proliferation of in car GPS's, and have seen another way of fineing people. I agree, some people have them mounted in stupid places, right in the centre of the windscreen is reasonably common.

But, as stated, what about all the gear that sits obstructing forward vision in police vehicles. Have you seen in some in the front seat of some highway patrol vehicles, some have the passenger seat removed, to make way for all the gear that is used to "do their duty" If a member of the public had a similar set up (screens able to be seen by the driver while vehicle being operated) they would be fined for such a set up.

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 23 January 09 10:11 pm

OK - I will be the Devil's advocate and spell out why I would not be upset if such a law was brought in.

First point, an object not PERMANENTLY fixed to the car in front of your head is a potential projectile in the event of sudden braking or an accident.

Second, drivers occasionally use their GPSr units when DRIVING - not look at, but press the screen buttons. I have been guilty of doing this and I've seen many over geoacchers do the same things.

There is also plenty of scientific evidence to show that this distract you from the real task of driving. Even hands free mobiles are proven to distract the driver - http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/ ... 434193.htm

Car insurance companies have reported an increase in the number of rear-end collisions in the past ten years, with a FURTHER spike in the last two. Wonder what would be the two devices responsible.

I understand the anti-sentiment, and that there is probably a small minority that will ruin it for others. But I will admit I have made driving errors when using the GPSr while driving. I once had to hit a driver for veering off the road while searching for a cache as he was driving. Maybe it's more common than everyone wishes to admit.

Airbags, RBTs and seat belts were all seen as stupid when they were introduced, but I wouldn't turn back the clock on them - would you?

My solution - they should be fixed at the same level as the odometer and other meters. This covers my first point. The second ...

BTW - California is the state that has banned texting and GPS units on the windscreen/dash.

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 23 January 09 10:13 pm

Bundyrumandcoke wrote:its just another way of raising revenue

If nobody broke the law, would it be revenue raising?