Distracting speedos and built-in satnavs: law?

SouthLondonUser

@ car 54, there happens to be a difference between "guidance" and law. The legislator could have chosen to embed the tolerance into the law, but chose not to.
A police chief recently called for zero tolerance, including fines for 1mph above the limit ( https://news.sky.com/story/punish-drivers-who-go-1mph-over-speed-limit-police-chief-says-11230191 ) and was rightly criticised for saying so.

While I appreciate that, realistically, it's unlikely to be fined for driving at 23 in a 20mph zone, the fact remains that the law would specifically allow it!

@ neilmcl , but surely having a satnav in the bottom right of your windscreen, like most minicab drivers do with their phones, is better than having it farther below? Looking at most built-in satnavs requires you to take your eyes off the road; looking at a phone at the bottom right of your windscreen does not. I see a difference. You do not? Please name one of the "myriad of other things" which would require you to take your eyes off the road for so long and as frequently as one of those built-in satnavs.

Thinking of it from another angle: since the world is full of idiots, shouldn't we limit the chances idiots get of hurting other people?

SouthLondonUser

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Mine speaks to me. I rarely need to look at it while I'm driving.

Wanna bet how many other drivers do look at it?

droopsnoot wrote: »

If it's a car on sale new in the UK, you can pretty much bet that it conforms to the various regulations in place to govern such things.

No ****, Sherlock!

caprikid1

"I'll be sure to send all your comments to the colleague who is now in hospital because a genius was too busy looking at the (built-in) satnav to notice him crossing the road - he will now doubt find them witty, useful and insightful. "


On or off a pedestrian crossing ?

droopsnoot

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

No ****, Sherlock!

I typed a few responses to that, but it seems pointless. I'm not sure what your argument is - other than some fairly modern cars that have a "heads up" display projected onto the windscreen, looking at the speedometer on any dashboard requires taking your eyes away from the road, and projecting it onto the screen may well cover up something that you wanted to see.


What's your solution? Where should the satnav and major instrumentation be placed?

[Deleted User]

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

I'll be sure to send all your comments to the colleague who is now in hospital because a genius was too busy looking at the (built-in) satnav to notice him crossing the road - he will now doubt find them witty, useful and insightful.

Cool story bro'

SouthLondonUser

droopsnoot wrote: »

What's your solution? Where should the satnav and major instrumentation be placed?

As close as possible to the driver's line of sight, obviously!

Like I said, the first two examples below are better than the last one. I have also seen other cars where the inbuilt satnav is even farther below.
All 3 are still worse than simply keeping a phone in portrait mode at the bottom right of the windscreen, like most minicab drivers seem to do.

Do you think there is no difference, when it comes to distraction and safety, between the last one and the other two?

SouthLondonUser

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Cool story bro'

Thanks. The guy has copyrighted it because they're planning to make a movie out of it.

Head_The_Ball

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

This is not what I originally thought "distracting speedos" meant :rotfl:

Is this what you wanted to see?

Car_54

DoaM wrote: »

Whilst I accept that it is purely anecdotal, and I only have his word for it ... my cousin was done for speeding doing a clocked 41 in a 40 limit. (This was maybe 20-25 years ago).

That's why I included the word "substantiated". In any event, 20 years ago predates the current guidelines.

Chickabiddybex

Head_The_Ball wrote: »

Is this what you wanted to see?

Expected rather than wanted!