Phones on your windscreen

[Tom8]

Followed some bloke in his car last night in the dark. He had a phone/sat nav on full brightness almost in the middle of his half of the windscreen, basically down and to the right of the interior mirror.

If I have a chip in the middle of my windscreen I would fail an MOT and hence be illegal.

For me the light was off-putting enough let alone the screen which was probably Samsung Galaxy size. Lord knows how this guy could see to drive safely, which probably explains where he barely got above 30 on open roads.

Is there a law around screens like phones and go pros on cars that plod can enforce?

[Jayho]

If they're not touching the phone, using other functions which is distracting, I can't really understand how it's illegal. You say it's on the bottom right, so close to the driver but not in direct line of sight? I cant imagine it being any more distracting than built in or other types of sat nav. It's probably the level of driving competency rather than the actual distraction of phone in this instance.

If you think that is a major distraction then maybe avoid watching any sort of "behind the scenes" of motoring / car testing videos being made. There's usually like 3-5 cameras, microphones and lights attached all over the cabin.

[normalbloke]

Jayho said:

If they're not touching the phone, using other functions which is distracting, I can't really understand how it's illegal. You say it's on the bottom right, so close to the driver but not in direct line of sight? I cant imagine it being any more distracting than built in or other types of sat nav. It's probably the level of driving competency rather than the actual distraction of phone in this instance.

If you think that is a major distraction then maybe avoid watching any sort of "behind the scenes" of motoring / car testing videos being made. There's usually like 3-5 cameras, microphones and lights attached all over the cabin.

The OP’s description puts it directly in his line of sight, unless you and I are reading different posts. Poorly placed sat nav or phone, are one of the early alert warnings for a substandard driver. Along with a hoody up,4D plates,drug dealer windows, steamed up car etc etc etc.

[grudas]

I used to get stuck behind a red yaris before covid and commuting got reduced.. same road, each day, to the same spot.. and driver had a massive tablet attached right above the speedo/cluster, must've been 8' with sat nav on(I could see her route that's how massive it was)

always had a queue of multiple cars behind said yaris because they couldn't drive at the speed limit, constantly slammed on brakes etc etc.. I knew my commute was going to be ruined as soon as I saw that in front of me. This went on for months and I couldn't figure out why and what goes through their had.

[Zephyr Speedshop]

I see this all the time and it amazes me. It's a surprisingly big blind spot that's before it's on daytime maps at night.

I'm quite sensitive to satnav/binnical brightness. And all my vehicles have them on the Lowest setting at night. I've followed a car before where it was so bright it was bothering me on a dark country road. Must have been impossible to see past it in the car.

Boggles the mind.

[Tom8]

Zephyr Speedshop said:

I see this all the time and it amazes me. It's a surprisingly big blind spot that's before it's on daytime maps at night.

I'm quite sensitive to satnav/binnical brightness. And all my vehicles have them on the Lowest setting at night. I've followed a car before where it was so bright it was bothering me on a dark country road. Must have been impossible to see past it in the car.

Boggles the mind.

I am amazed they can see at night and it does show the kind of driver the always are. I always remember parents and grand parents telling me not to turn interior lights on in the car at night as it impacts visibility and this was with those useless lights that we probably less effective than a candle.

[megaphone]

It is an offence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sticker...

[MustangGT]

megaphone said:

It is an offence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sticker...

This.

[anonymous-user]

grudas said:

I used to get stuck behind a red yaris before covid and commuting got reduced.. same road, each day, to the same spot.. and driver had a massive tablet attached right above the speedo/cluster, must've been 8' with sat nav on(I could see her route that's how massive it was)

always had a queue of multiple cars behind said yaris because they couldn't drive at the speed limit, constantly slammed on brakes etc etc.. I knew my commute was going to be ruined as soon as I saw that in front of me. This went on for months and I couldn't figure out why and what goes through their head.

Infuriating, obviously, but did you never think to leave 10 minutes earlier?!

[Tom8]

megaphone said:

It is an offence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sticker...

Interesting. Wonder how many get pulled over for it? Seems like reliance on MOT is only real check and then they could be removed for the test.

[NFT]

Ridiculous placement if as described, have seen traffic pull an old boy for it on the tally long ago, he, like this driver OP, probably thinks it is reasonable, and can't find fault with it there.

If dashcam, you could possibly report it thought the public submission route.

[otolith]

Southerner said:

grudas said:

I used to get stuck behind a red yaris before covid and commuting got reduced.. same road, each day, to the same spot.. and driver had a massive tablet attached right above the speedo/cluster, must've been 8' with sat nav on(I could see her route that's how massive it was)

always had a queue of multiple cars behind said yaris because they couldn't drive at the speed limit, constantly slammed on brakes etc etc.. I knew my commute was going to be ruined as soon as I saw that in front of me. This went on for months and I couldn't figure out why and what goes through their head.

Infuriating, obviously, but did you never think to leave 10 minutes earlier?!

Leaves ten minutes earlier. Catches up with him ten minutes earlier. Spends ten more minutes fuming behind him

[Jayho]

normalbloke said:

Jayho said:

If they're not touching the phone, using other functions which is distracting, I can't really understand how it's illegal. You say it's on the bottom right, so close to the driver but not in direct line of sight? I cant imagine it being any more distracting than built in or other types of sat nav. It's probably the level of driving competency rather than the actual distraction of phone in this instance.

If you think that is a major distraction then maybe avoid watching any sort of "behind the scenes" of motoring / car testing videos being made. There's usually like 3-5 cameras, microphones and lights attached all over the cabin.

The OP’s description puts it directly in his line of sight, unless you and I are reading different posts. Poorly placed sat nav or phone, are one of the early alert warnings for a substandard driver. Along with a hoody up,4D plates,drug dealer windows, steamed up car etc etc etc.

Ah right you are, I misread. It thought it was the bottom right of the wind screen by the A Pillar.

A part for on some B roads to know the upcoming bends, I don't seem much benefit of having visuals on sat nav really. If I need to go somewhere I usually set the destination on my phone and just listen for the voice commands.

[Ascari_1]

I'm amazed how often I see people on FaceTime calls with their phones attached to the windscreen these days. Must see 3 - 4 a week now, even more concerning, usually on the motorway.

[5s Alive]

MustangGT said:

megaphone said:

It is an offence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sticker...

This.

Mind numbingly stupid regardless of legislation. Returning from the NEC one dark and rainy evening we encountered a Corsa without lights on in the inside lane of a very busy M6. Initially I thought we would be able to pull back into a gap in the inside lane but belatedly realised there was a car there from the glow of the full brightness tomtom smack dab in the centre of the windscreen. He was struggling to see past the glare. Did I mention he had no lights on, in heavy spray, at night... I struggle to believe that people can be so stupid or incompetent but the evidence does suggest otherwise.

[Tango13]

Years back some dozy bint slammed into the back of my car, the GPS camera detector that was tucked snuggly in the corner of the screen by the A pillar went over my shoulder and ended up on the back seat and I found my glasses behind the brake pedal.

Not sure I'd want a big sat nav screen at eye height in similar circumstances.

[Biker 1]

I saw one of these muppets the other day: mahoosive satnav screen in the middle of the windscreen, mobile phone mounted next to A pillar, but at stupid high level, a large dashcam & a rear facing camera mounted to the rear window.
Looked like a middle aged lady driver. Oh, & her door mirrors were both folded for some reason. Amazed she could actually see anything what with both sun visors down as well!

[anonymous-user]

otolith said:

Southerner said:

grudas said:

I used to get stuck behind a red yaris before covid and commuting got reduced.. same road, each day, to the same spot.. and driver had a massive tablet attached right above the speedo/cluster, must've been 8' with sat nav on(I could see her route that's how massive it was)

always had a queue of multiple cars behind said yaris because they couldn't drive at the speed limit, constantly slammed on brakes etc etc.. I knew my commute was going to be ruined as soon as I saw that in front of me. This went on for months and I couldn't figure out why and what goes through their head.

Infuriating, obviously, but did you never think to leave 10 minutes earlier?!

Leaves ten minutes earlier. Catches up with him ten minutes earlier. Spends ten more minutes fuming behind him

Yeah fair point!

[anonymous-user]

Tom8 said:

megaphone said:

It is an offence. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sticker...

Interesting. Wonder how many get pulled over for it? Seems like reliance on MOT is only real check and then they could be removed for the test.

I bet zero get pulled over.

[Dog Star]

More than once I’ve seen people driving with satnavs in front of them. I mean at face level, directly in line with the steering wheel.