Is a mounted tablet legal for the driver?

londonTiger

Vaguely remember something about a live screen being illegal or something along those lines.

I want to use a satnav as a email/gps/music player. I want to know what the law is on this. Would it be legal?

RS2000.

londonTiger wrote: »

Vaguely remember something about a live screen being illegal or something along those lines.

I want to use a satnav as a email/gps/music player. I want to know what the law is on this. Would it be legal?

Where did you remember that from?

The emergency services use them.

AdrianC

Yes, it's legal to use a tablet or a phone or any other piece of gadgetry, so long as it's not hand-held.

SatNav or music player? Well, most cars have those now anyway.

But driving without due care and attention, careless driving, dangerous driving aren't legal. And reading/writing emails whilst you're driving most certainly would fall into one of those.

Joe_Horner

RS2000. wrote: »

Where did you remember that from?

The emergency services use them.

Television or "other cineamatographic aparatus" is illegal if it can be seen by the driver either directly or by reflection - Construction and Use Regulations (1988) Reg. 109.

Note that there are specific exemptions for things like satnav, vehicle info displays, and reversing cameras / dashcams. Those may apply to a music selection because strictly it's "information about the state of the vehicle or its accessories" but they're not going to apply to email.

Whether or not email would count as "television" or "cinematographic" would probably have to be tested in court, but I wouldn't like to be the test case. Especially seeing as they'd - rightly imo - probably go for the easier, and more serious, careless (or dangerous depending on circumstances) driving.

RS2000.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Television or "other cineamatographic aparatus" is illegal if it can be seen by the driver either directly or by reflection - Construction and Use Regulations (1988) Reg. 109.

Note that there are specific exemptions for things like satnav, vehicle info displays, and reversing cameras / dashcams. Those may apply to a music selection because strictly it's "information about the state of the vehicle or its accessories" but they're not going to apply to email.

Whether or not email would count as "television" or "cinematographic" would probably have to be tested in court, but I wouldn't like to be the test case. Especially seeing as they'd - rightly imo - probably go for the easier, and more serious, careless (or dangerous depending on circumstances) driving.

He asked about a tablet, it's not a TV so why is it any different to a smart phone?

Location will be his biggest problem. Will he cover the radio or heater vents locating it.

londonTiger

AdrianC wrote: »

Yes, it's legal to use a tablet or a phone or any other piece of gadgetry, so long as it's not hand-held.

SatNav or music player? Well, most cars have those now anyway.

But driving without due care and attention, careless driving, dangerous driving aren't legal. And reading/writing emails whilst you're driving most certainly would fall into one of those.

we have this stupid law about operating a handheld phone while stuck in traffic with car in neutral and handbrake being "driving without due care". So how does that play with tablets. If the tablet is mounted on the centre console can I use it to write emails while in traffic, and what if the lights go green and I have to drive on and left the table on idle inside the email app but I dont use it at all. Could having an email account open while driving be regarded as driving without due care?

RS2000.

londonTiger wrote: »

we have this stupid law about operating a handheld phone while stuck in traffic with car in neutral and handbrake being "driving without due care". So how does that play with tablets. If the tablet is mounted on the centre console can I use it to write emails while in traffic, and what if the lights go green and I have to drive on and left the table on idle inside the email app but I dont use it at all. Could having an email account open while driving be regarded as driving without due care?

Do we, or is that your interpretation of the act?

AdrianC

londonTiger wrote: »

we have this stupid law about operating a handheld phone while stuck in traffic with car in neutral and handbrake being "driving without due care". So how does that play with tablets.

Exactly the same as with phones, because - legally - there's no difference between the two. Phones are specified in the legislation, but so is any "device, other than a two-way radio, which performs an interactive communication function by transmitting and receiving data.". As for "what's hand-held?", again - it's very clear.
"a mobile telephone or other device is to be treated as hand-held if it is, or must be, held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive communication function;"

It's a very simple rule - if you need to pick it up to use it, it's hand-held, so don't use it unless the car is parked up and switched off. It really is that simple.

And, no, it isn't "driving without due care" - it's a specific offence under C&U legislation. CU80 on your licence. DWDCA is CD10.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2695/made
https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/endorsement-codes-and-penalty-points

Joe_Horner

RS2000. wrote: »

He asked about a tablet, it's not a TV so why is it any different to a smart phone?

Location will be his biggest problem. Will he cover the radio or heater vents locating it.

(a) I was pointing out where he may "remember that from"

(b) As soon as you have televisuals showing - which includes video and may include text content generated elsewhere (such as emails) - it becomes a "television or other cinematographic apparatus". Note that "television" doesn't have to be moving pictures, hence the need for the stated exemptions in the regulation, some of which concern static information displays which would otherwise be covered.

(c) As I pointed out, it's more likely that they'd just go for careless driving but the Regulation I linked will be where he "remembered it from".

(d) Or are you just too determined to disagree with anyone to make that fairly obvious connection to what the OP asked?

RS2000.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

(a) I was pointing out where he may "remember that from"

(b) As soon as you have televisuals showing - which includes video and may include text content generated elsewhere (such as emails) - it becomes a "television or other cinematographic apparatus". Note that "television" doesn't have to be moving pictures, hence the need for the stated exemptions in the regulation, some of which concern static information displays which would otherwise be covered.

(c) As I pointed out, it's more likely that they'd just go for careless driving but the Regulation I linked will be where he "remembered it from".

(d) Or are you just too determined to disagree with anyone to make that fairly obvious connection to what the OP asked?

No, but as for legislation it's no different to mounting a smart phone on the dash. If caught using it they would still have to prove his standard of driving fell below.

Glancing at a sat nav is allowed, has glancing at an email or visual display showing a music been tested yet?

I think your idea of a discussion maybe everyone agreeing with you, we're not all Mrs Horner, we are allowed our opinions.

Joe_Horner

That'll be a "d" then.

He said he thought he may have heard it somewhere, you asked where, I suggested what he might be thinking of.

That's not a matter of what they might "do" him for (I even said they'd be unlikely to use that one!), it's a matter of why / where he might have heard it from.