Is it illegal to alter your satnav while driving

[Minxy]

Try Billy Connolly ... good but it does get a bit annoying when at the end of each drive you get the "there's no need to thank me" etc message ... we were saying it along with Billy after hearing it a few times!

 

[gus-lopez]

About time smoking was banned whilst driving ....

Why ? I'd have had to stop every 15 minutes.

Now that is a very valid point , my friend . But it should be noted that most motorway patrol's , are now covered by VOSA , once part of the police force , and mainly used for the inspection of hgv's , they are now privately operated and cover's all road vehicle's . I believe they are privately funded , receiving no funding from the government , yet have full police power's . ..

So a load of Itinerants then ? need to make a profit so have a vested interest. Just like 'highways agency ' =pothole fillers. You are either a policeman or you're not.

 

[John and Jo]

Must be OK ...everyone's on their mobile so can't see this any different.

 

[airwave]

Why ? I'd have had to stop every 15 minutes.


So a load of Itinerants then ? need to make a profit so have a vested interest. Just like 'highways agency ' =pothole fillers. You are either a policeman or you're not.

Hmmm , not sure if that an insult or not , lol .

Trucker , heavy class 1 , 33 yrs . (oh iand i hate the dam thing's)

 

[PeteH]

I have done it, whilst waiting in Traffic Jam`s/Queue`s.. But usually IF I need to, I get into a lay-by. (old joke about lay-bys somewhere?) I also have my Secretary answer the Phone anyway!. VOSA are very nice men, they shut one lane of the M25 once to get me recovered!!

Pete

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[scotjimland]

high way coad rule 148 Rule 148: Safe driving and riding needs concentration

Eh????

I know about that but its not actually banned ... hence the 'Eh?' comment. Mind you, if they could I'm sure they'd ban us from even sneezing!

I was just responding to your 'Eh????' .post that quoted Bills comment in post #22

Bill didn't say it was banned..

 

[Landy lover]

I think if you check the use of Highways Agency vehicles is limited to a single vehicle in a trial area and the vehicle is clearly marked as working with DVSA . I am uncertain how this trial has gone - certainly I personally am against it for the simple reason that the more people that have the right to stop muddies the waters as to who has the legal right to stop. Interestingly I see that although DVSA ( previously VOSA ) were given the right to stop HGV's a while back generally you now see police back doing it. Years ago Dept of Transport as it was were always looked upon as a sensible friendly bunch of people who used a lot of common sense. When we became O licence holders some 20 + years ago again the folk were helpful and were more interested in people being compliant rather than prosecution. These day DVSA are hated and abhorred by the trucking world as being money chasers at any cost. Recent incidents an artic unit pulled for a check - total of 54 lights on it and one was out - got a fine and GV9 the owner had to send a mechanic out to change the bulb. Lorry driver doing multiple deliveries in Dorset Devon and Somerset stopped 3 times in a day once in each county. Back many years ago when I was trucking once stopped and checked - given the all clear you would get a coloured sticker to put in your windscreen which would mean you would get waved through any stop for the next month.

As far as the Highways agency are concerned generally they have no powers of stop except in road related emergencies when it is illegal to ignore the instructions of a Traffic Officer however they can only report you not stop you - they can also report back to the police of dangerous driving.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

But it should be noted that most motorway patrol's , are now covered by VOSA , once part of the police force , and mainly used for the inspection of hgv's , they are now privately operated and cover's all road vehicle's . I believe they are privately funded , receiving no funding from the government , yet have full police power's

You mean the ones in yellow and black Discoverys? They've never been part of the police force. They were once, and for all practical purposes still are, part of the Highways Agency.

They provide support and safety functions only. They have no police powers whatsoever. In actual fact they have no powers to do anything at all unless specifically directed.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/highways-england/about/about-our-services

The bit that is missing from there is Part 1 Section 5 (5) of The Traffic Management Act 2004:

The condition is that the traffic officer is acting—

1. (a) at the direction of the chief officer of police for the area in which the road is situated; or

2. (b) with the consent of the traffic authority for the road.

And finally you're wrong about the privately funded bit as well. They are part of Highways England which although it operates as a separate "company" it is entirely government owned.

 

[frogijock]

Some sat navs will not allow you to change them whilst vehicle is in motion, the Panasonic (built in) in my van does this

 

[meanders]

Sometimes you need a 'shut up' voice command or suspend button. We have a Garmin and a TomTom and I've not found them in either. On a long run, you get diverted, or pull off for a break (often after the take a break message), and it goes on and on telling you to turn this way or that to get back on the route. It's not always possible to stop to adjust it, so I do touch it to turn it off, but I would argue, (Probably unsuccessfully!) that it's much less of a distraction than the nagging coming from the SATNAV.

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[Jaws]

Attended a few motorcycle accidents caused by car/van drivers fiddling with a radio rather than looking at the road.. a GPS requires far more concentration ..
I believe it would def be considered illegal ..

 

[iandsm]

I gotta admit , my understanding is , that it is an offence . Listed along with mobile phone / texting which carry's substantial fine's and penalty point's (due care and attention , lack of) . I've also heard muttering's about hand's free too .



Now that is a very valid point , my friend . But it should be noted that most motorway patrol's , are now covered by VOSA , once part of the police force , and mainly used for the inspection of hgv's , they are now privately operated and cover's all road vehicle's . I believe they are privately funded , receiving no funding from the government , yet have full police power's . Consensus among trucker's is , they will prosecute , even minor offence's , to boost the coffer's .
Another thing that you should ask yourself , are you really sure you havn't seen any ? . Unmarked car's are not so easy to spot anymore . Gone are the day's when they used , high powered Swedish or German car's , and with the increased use of camera's/computor's/chopper's , they don't really have a need to stop you anymore .

The reason why it's also an offence , not to keep your licence up to date .



Yeah , I noticed that too , and new motor's are getting more and more . Vauxhall assist could be interesting , sending full emergency service's to a possible accident .
Jeeze , they struggling to handle what they got . Their gonna love more false alarm's ..

VOSA were never part of any police force and they certainly do not have full police powers. there is much information about the few powers they have on the internet, too much to repeat here except that they are not police officers and do not have full police powers.

 

[Figaro]

Programme sat navigation whilst driving - you have to ask ?
Scarey the people who are on our roads !