Phones and tablets in race cars
Discussion
So the regulations have stated for a while that you can’t
Have a mobile phone type device in your race car ref 11.3.1
I have seen a few cars still with them installed, so what are the actual regulations? Can you run an iPhone without a sim etc?
I want to try and use race chrono, but struggling how I can run this in my car without a phone or tablet.
Anyone got any alternatives?
Have a mobile phone type device in your race car ref 11.3.1
I have seen a few cars still with them installed, so what are the actual regulations? Can you run an iPhone without a sim etc?
I want to try and use race chrono, but struggling how I can run this in my car without a phone or tablet.
Anyone got any alternatives?
GlobalRacer said:
Guess it's the difference between being "carried" and "installed"?
Can't see what the difference is between a tablet securely mounted to the car and the modern dashboards which are tablets themselves.
Yes I get that. But I am assuming that the regulations are written to kind of parrot Highway Code regulations and not have people operating a phone whilst driving. It being fixed or loose in the car wouldn’t stop that. Can't see what the difference is between a tablet securely mounted to the car and the modern dashboards which are tablets themselves.
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
Yes I get that. But I am assuming that the regulations are written to kind of parrot Highway Code regulations and not have people operating a phone whilst driving. It being fixed or loose in the car wouldn’t stop that.
I've just looked up the original proposal and consultation that led to the regulation. It's to stop the use of mobile phones and portable tablet pcs.Makes no sense to me as the dashboard of my car has pages of data all of which I can flick through while on track. Making a call I can understand but what nutter would do that?
majordad said:
Allied to this , what about devices like a Garmin Catalyst, or some of those lap timers ?
Exactly. MSUK are actively promoting the Catalyst on their YT channel. I don't get the difference between having that in the car and having a tablet running the same sort of software.having just this minute spoken to the MSUK tech/regulatory bods, it would appear that it is in someway up to the scrutineer, as to whether you can carry a phone, if you are prepared to have the phone in the car at scrutineering and able to explain how/why you are using it.
I think I will fit mine, but out of arms reach when seated and see what they say.
I think I will fit mine, but out of arms reach when seated and see what they say.
MitchT said:
There was some good onboard footage of Sophia Flörsch trying to get her car going after a crash at Le Mans in 2021. She ended up using her phone, I guess to contact the team, before having to abandon the car.
I remember that one, she’d crashed and the radio was unserviceable, presumably with a load of other systems thanks to an electrical cutoff switch of some sort that had been triggered, then she took her phone out of her pocket and called the team to see what she could do to get the car restarted. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vxqAe-B5vB0
You could say that was good preparation, to have a backup comms system independent of the car.
Sandpit Steve said:
I remember that one, she’d crashed and the radio was unserviceable, presumably with a load of other systems thanks to an electrical cutoff switch of some sort that had been triggered, then she took her phone out of her pocket and called the team to see what she could do to get the car restarted.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vxqAe-B5vB0
You could say that was good preparation, to have a backup comms system independent of the car.
If you look at older rally videos, they'd have a pair of old nokias mounted to the cage and hooked up for emergency phone calls.https://youtube.com/watch?v=vxqAe-B5vB0
You could say that was good preparation, to have a backup comms system independent of the car.
Backup comms is not always essential, but little harm having a phone in a car, even if it's in your pocket etc.
With the emergence of more and more computer style electronics on competition cars it was noticed that they often bypassed the the battery isolation system.
Meaning that in accidents even when the battery isolator had been operated there were still live systems on cars .
Often a problem when laptop type management systems were being used in cars . They were wary of losing data and settings if the power is suddenly shut off .
Maybe this is part of the thinking behind it .
I am not up to date on the latest car to pits communication regs .
I do know that it was banned in everything apart from to level series.
Meaning that in accidents even when the battery isolator had been operated there were still live systems on cars .
Often a problem when laptop type management systems were being used in cars . They were wary of losing data and settings if the power is suddenly shut off .
Maybe this is part of the thinking behind it .
I am not up to date on the latest car to pits communication regs .
I do know that it was banned in everything apart from to level series.
In some endurance races, 750mc for example you aren’t allowed car to pit comms. So everyone was sneaking a phone into the car so the pits called call them.
So maybe something to do with that, I’ve used a phone for timing before but it was poop the GPS was not accurate enough. So I bought a second hand aim solo much better and I can use it as shift lights, temp readings etc as it’s plugged into the OBD.
So maybe something to do with that, I’ve used a phone for timing before but it was poop the GPS was not accurate enough. So I bought a second hand aim solo much better and I can use it as shift lights, temp readings etc as it’s plugged into the OBD.
Bertrum said:
In some endurance races, 750mc for example you aren’t allowed car to pit comms. So everyone was sneaking a phone into the car so the pits called call them.
So maybe something to do with that, I’ve used a phone for timing before but it was poop the GPS was not accurate enough. So I bought a second hand aim solo much better and I can use it as shift lights, temp readings etc as it’s plugged into the OBD.
You very much are allowed car to put comms in 750mc endurance stuff. So maybe something to do with that, I’ve used a phone for timing before but it was poop the GPS was not accurate enough. So I bought a second hand aim solo much better and I can use it as shift lights, temp readings etc as it’s plugged into the OBD.
There are a few reasons...
Not everyone secures them properly which causes competitors arguing the toss with Scrutineers
Many championships dont want pit to car/car to pit comms and people were sneaking them in pockets etc with air pods or whatever on under their lid (C1's have now banned smart watches for example)
There have been multiple instances of people live streaming to Farcebook or whatever
Not everyone secures them properly which causes competitors arguing the toss with Scrutineers
Many championships dont want pit to car/car to pit comms and people were sneaking them in pockets etc with air pods or whatever on under their lid (C1's have now banned smart watches for example)
There have been multiple instances of people live streaming to Farcebook or whatever
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