Touching a mobile phone (sat nav) while driving

Eternal1

I know you're not allowed to "hold" a mobile phone while driving but a lot of people use their phone as a sat nav and mount it to their dashboard. But are you allowed to touch the screen of the phone at all? Perhaps to mute a call or turn up the volume on the voice commands?

The reason I ask is because I see Tesla drivers all the time on Youtube touching their car computer screen while driving or waiting at lights.

marcarm

It is no excuse to say you’re simply following the mapping on your hand-held device and that's why you've picked it up. The mobile phone law specifically refers to this, stating it is illegal to use a hand-held mobile to follow a map.

If you wish to use smartphone navigation or a mapping app, fix the phone to the windscreen or dashboard, so it’s in clear view for use while driving (but not obstructing your view), without requiring you to hold or interact with it.

You are allowed to use a phone if it is fully hands-free – you’re not allowed to pick it up and operate it even momentarily.

Any hands-free devices should be fully set up before you drive, so you can take calls without handling the device.

It needs to be fixed to the dash or screen, difference with a Tesla is that it is part of the car

AdrianC

The law is about using handheld communication devices. No more, no less.

Car_54

marcarm wrote: »

It needs to be fixed to the dash or screen, difference with a Tesla is that it is part of the car

No difference. If it's fixed (i.e. NOT hand-held) it doesn't matter whether it's permanent.

Eternal1

Car_54 wrote: »

No difference. If it's fixed (i.e. NOT hand-held) it doesn't matter whether it's permanent.

So in that case a fixed mobile phone acting as a sat nav is no different to an actual fixed sat nav and therefore you won't be breaking the law by touching the screen as long as you're not texting or something stupid?

AdrianC

Eternal1 wrote: »

So in that case a fixed mobile phone acting as a sat nav is no different to an actual fixed sat nav and therefore you won't be breaking the law by touching the screen as long as you're not texting or something stupid?

Correct. You can even text.

Just so long as you aren't driving carelessly or dangerously.

DoaM

Integrate your phone to your car with Android Auto or Apple Carplay and you can even talk to your "satnav" to get directions.

Supersonos

AdrianC wrote: »

Correct. You can even text.

Just so long as you aren't driving carelessly or dangerously.

I was under the impression you couldn't hold the device - I see no difference to jabbing at the touchscreen of my car to adjust the sat-nav and jabbing at my phone's sat nav when in its holder.

But a few days ago I was at traffic lights behind a car where the driver zoomed out the sat-nav on his phone on the dash of his car, and a police car in the lane next to him gave him a ticking-off. So now I'm not so sure.

JackeeBoy

It’s illegal to hold a phone or sat nav while driving or riding a motorcycle. You must have hands-free access, such as:

a bluetooth headset
voice command
a dashboard holder or mat
a windscreen mount
a built-in sat nav
The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.

You must stay in full control of your vehicle at all times. The police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because you’re distracted and you can be prosecuted.

The law still applies to you if you’re:

stopped at traffic lights
queuing in traffic
supervising a learner driver
When you can use a hand-held phone
You can use a hand-held phone if either of these apply:

you’re safely parked
you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop