Position of sat nav Illegal Police advise! (1 Viewer)

[DJA]

I understand from my son that when his pupils have gone for their driving test the examiner has been putting the GPS on a pad in the middle of the dashboard.

 

[nicholsong]

I have asked this before, but, no one seems willing to provide an answer.
I cant push a button on my screen mounted sat nav or phone without risking a fine and points...........But police officers chasing cars through built up areas can mess around with their stab vest mounted models, removing one hand from their steering wheels at 90 mph. Are they exempt????

I remove one hand from the steering wheel frquently - when gear changing.



Furthermore I used to operate 52tons of vehicle with one hand in 3 dimensions whilst monitoring six instruments in zero visibility and talkiing into the mic - all while being tested by a government approved examiner.

Is that a sufficient defence Officer?

 

[Tootles]

I remove one hand from the steering wheel frquently - when gear changing.



Furthermore I used to operate 52tons of vehicle with one hand in 3 dimensions whilst monitoring six instruments in zero visibility and talkiing into the mic - all while being tested by a government approved examiner.

Is that a sufficient defence Officer?

Briefly, no. If a police force can start laying down a law that is at its best ambiguous, for whatever motive, then surely it too must abide by the same rules? I suppose that if humans had three arms, then it wouldnt matter?
And just to even up the score a bit, I used to operate 52 tons of vehicle both on and off road, using both hands to change gear, whilst monitoring instruments, and keeping one eye firmly open so as to take the opertunity to grab my pie from the generator control panel Likewise, I have driven many miles a vehicle with an inverted steering wheel with my knees, whilst rolling a cigarette with both hands. And that was a pre-select gear change.
Your missing my point I think.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

Mine is currently lying in the passenger side footwell where I threw it earlier



Piece of Chinese junk.

I need a new one now ....neve had it stuck on the windscreen though id need binoculars to see it ....my windscreen is 4 ft away

I had it stuck to the top of the mapbox

 

[tonyidle]

3 dimensions? Must be a pilot.

 

[tacr2man]

aircraft on instruments (the easy one fixed wing )

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tootles]

Mine is currently lying in the passenger side footwell where I threw it earlier



Piece of Chinese junk.

I need a new one now ....neve had it stuck on the windscreen though id need binoculars to see it ....my windscreen is 4 ft away

I had it stuck to the top of the mapbox

Know what you mean.
The Bonnie Tyler Sat Nav I got for xmas is rubbish,

it just keeps telling me to turn around and every now and then it falls apart!

 

[Louis]

It is when you look down at it.

John.

That’s not blocking your view through the windscreen

 

[PeteH]

IF. no one is allowed to actually USE a sat nav, as it is a "distraction". Why is it now one element in part of the Driving Test?.

As with the vast majority of "Bureaucratic" "jobsworth" institutions, the Police are so fixated on the "LAW" as opposed to the dispensation of "Justice", That common sense has been forgotten. The correct "admonition" IMV would be "that sat nav would be better placed elsewhere sir, out of your direct vision." (and before anyone else says it how about the reply "if you drop your pants officer I will place it a very dark space") Rather than "good morning Judge" and cluttering up the courts who (should?) have better things to do.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

Unfortunately it's common practice that once a few idiots have done something stupid that our nanny state then brings out a law to stop everyone doing what they've done safely enough for years.

 

[filopastry]

It used to be, probably changed now, that the screen within the sweep on the wipers had to be maintained clear at all times. These days sat navs, forward cameras, curtains,stickers and god only knows what else seems to find a home there.

 

[tacr2man]

It used to be, probably changed now, that the screen within the sweep on the wipers had to be maintained clear at all times. These days sat navs, forward cameras, curtains,stickers and god only knows what else seems to find a home there.

No it hasnt changed , just no coppers to enforce @jetlag03

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TheCaller]

The regulations about keeping the swept area of the screen clear would have been written before sat navs were around & would have been aimed a keeping the screen clear of 'We've been to Morecambe' & 'Kevin & Tracey' stickers. All very sensible.

Some vehicles have parts of the swept area where the only thing that can be seen through that particular area is the bonnet. That would seem an eminently sensible area to position the sat nav.

Mine is on the dashboard & it does obscure a small bit of road immediately in front of the van. But it's a bit of tarmac so close to the van that is a) outside the area I'm looking at whilst driving & b) so close to the van that if anything appeared in it without having been visible earlier in the rest of the screen, there's nothing much I can do about it now. The advantage of having it there is that I don't have to take my eyes of the road completely to glance at it - the rest of the road remains in my peripheral vision far better than it would if I had to look down to the position of the radio or the rest of the instrument panel. It's safer to use the sat nav speed indication than the vehicle speedo - particularly if using kph rather than mph.

A good sat nav, sensibly positioned & properly used can be a real aid to safety. Getting clear routing guidance in unfamiliar territory removes the distraction of direction finding, especially for the solo driver. But even good tools can be dangerous in the hands of an idiot.

While reliance on the discresionary powers of the good old-fashioned British bobby may be being overly optimistic, I can't help feeling that there might be other factors in play in those instances where the regulations appear to have been enforced contrary to common sense.

 

[frogijock]

Say a TV program last night about Cumbria police, one of their Dog Handlers had all the usual kit on his dash/windscreen plus his cap in the right side of dash

 

[Puddleduck]

I work ours and he drives - or the other way round

It sits at an angle inside the open centre glove box

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

Mine is currently lying in the passenger side footwell where I threw it earlier

Threw my old navman satnag out the passenger window in Spain........or I tried, the bloody window was up.
Crock of crap was sending me along roads long abandoned and taken over by wine berry trees.
Even tried sending me through an underpass choked with rubbish and old shopping trolleys.

 

[pappajohn]

One thing that does dictate where a camera or satnag can be mounted........the ridiculously long mounting arm on some units.
The mount 'sucker' may be at the top of the screen but the unit could be 1/4 the way down.
Saw one today parked in town.....Sat nav mounted 1/2 way down and in a vertical line with the left hand side of the steering wheel.

Realistically.....sorry mate, didn't see you pulling out.

 

[maxi77]

Threw my old navman satnag out the passenger window in Spain........or I tried, the bloody window was up.
Crock of crap was sending me along roads long abandoned and taken over by wine berry trees.
Even tried sending me through an underpass choked with rubbish and old shopping trolleys.

You should update your maps from time to time

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

You should update your maps from time to time

A week prior to leaving Dover I spent £100 on the latest updated west European map discs......the only way to update the early clunky Navman GPS.....they didn't even have an internal battery.
It was still showing single carriageway roads running roughly parallel to, but not shown on screen, new dual carriageway, the old roads being nothing more than hard-core and rubble through vineyards and almond groves.
Probably not used since Franco was sucking on his mother's t!t.

 

[iandsm]

I have asked this before, but, no one seems willing to provide an answer.
I cant push a button on my screen mounted sat nav or phone without risking a fine and points...........But police officers chasing cars through built up areas can mess around with their stab vest mounted models, removing one hand from their steering wheels at 90 mph. Are they exempt????

I can give you an answer. They are probably exempt but anyway how many times have they messed around, as you put it, with stab vest mounted models when chasing cars through built up areas at 90 mph. I doubt they would need to do this anyway.

Presumably you have witnessed this yourself or can provide some information as to how frequently this happens and where.

 

[iandsm]

I

Just to throw salt into the wounds

Be careful in Spain there the driver should not be able to view the screen as it will cause a distraction and will therefore be illegal - not sure how that works as with comments above police have them in the centre of the screen over there too

fortunately (or unfortunately ) ours is in the Radio so the screen can be folded away and I can't see it but it still tells me where to go[/QUOTE

In a word "YES". One law for them, One for us. Is now and always will be.

Have you considered any exemption might be to enable them to do their job. Same applies to ambulances and fire service vehicles. Have you also considered that the drivers of such vehicles, particularly those authorised to drive st higher speeds are highly trained as opposed to ordinary drivers.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[iandsm]

The regulations about keeping the swept area of the screen clear would have been written before sat navs were around & would have been aimed a keeping the screen clear of 'We've been to Morecambe' & 'Kevin & Tracey' stickers. All very sensible.

Some vehicles have parts of the swept area where the only thing that can be seen through that particular area is the bonnet. That would seem an eminently sensible area to position the sat nav.

Mine is on the dashboard & it does obscure a small bit of road immediately in front of the van. But it's a bit of tarmac so close to the van that is a) outside the area I'm looking at whilst driving & b) so close to the van that if anything appeared in it without having been visible earlier in the rest of the screen, there's nothing much I can do about it now. The advantage of having it there is that I don't have to take my eyes of the road completely to glance at it - the rest of the road remains in my peripheral vision far better than it would if I had to look down to the position of the radio or the rest of the instrument panel. It's safer to use the sat nav speed indication than the vehicle speedo - particularly if using kph rather than mph.

A good sat nav, sensibly positioned & properly used can be a real aid to safety. Getting clear routing guidance in unfamiliar territory removes the distraction of direction finding, especially for the solo driver. But even good tools can be dangerous in the hands of an idiot.

While reliance on the discresionary powers of the good old-fashioned British bobby may be being overly optimistic, I can't help feeling that there might be other factors in play in those instances where the regulations appear to have been enforced contrary to common sense.

At last, a sensible well considered reply!

 

[Tootles]

Presumably you have witnessed this yourself or can provide some information as to how frequently this happens and where.

Well, try any episode of 'Motorway Cops', 'Traffic Cops', 'All New Traffic Cops', 'Car Wars' 'Police Interceptors'............

They are probably exempt

Why? Have they more arms then us?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-40653833

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...mobile-phone-driving-donates-100-charity.html

Therefore the officer involved was not handed any penalty points or a fine by the force.

 

[iandsm]

Well, try any episode of 'Motorway Cops', 'Traffic Cops', 'All New Traffic Cops', 'Car Wars' 'Police Interceptors'............


Why? Have they more arms then us?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-40653833

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...mobile-phone-driving-donates-100-charity.html

Ok Toots, lets not turn this thread into another police bashing one. You obviously have your own reasons for your dislike/hatred of the police, that’s fine. Others appreciate what they do and how they do it. Not perfect at all times I grant you but better than any other country.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[iandsm]

duplicate post

 

[TheCaller]

At last, a sensible well considered reply!

Thank you. Probably one of the more boring ones though!