Clear Windscreen....did You Know?

[ToraToraTora]

I did a driver awareness course the other day, learnt an interesting thing about sat navs.dash cams. Technically any of those devices that attach to the actual windscreen are illigal:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-maintenance-safety-security
I was surprised because although my car has an inbuilt satnav I do have a dash cam and I had no idea. The instructor did say that if you mount it out of your main vision range then you'll probably be OK but jobsworth plod can nick you! I asked about police cars that are festooned with stuff in the windscreen and the instructor conceded that they are illegal too but plod is hiughly trained and do have some exemptions! So any comments/advice on how best to mount a dash cam?

[Old_Geezer]

Seems like they don't wish to have you use them at all. (Either that or they want to to peer at a display at your feet, eyes off the road, rather than flick your vision momentarily to a display on the windscreen.)

Can you not mount your camera on the car ceiling ?

[SlackAlice]

My dash cam is mounted high up behind the rear view mirror and is not visible from the drivers seat other than about 5mm of the top edge.

Best rule of thumb is that you should not have anything in the way of your vision in the 'swept' area of the windscreen, That applies to attached to windscreen or stuck to top of dashboard (or hanging from mirror).

[ToraToraTora]

yes I'm moving it up

[anaxcrosswords]

Took my car for MOT today. No problems at all (yippee!!!) but one item on the 'Advisory Information' part of the certificate: "Items removed from driver's view prior to test". That was the suction cap attached to the windscreen (satnav already removed from it and placed out of view).

[smoneybags]

Before I got a new car with a built in sat Nav, we bought a bracket off then internet that mounted our Tom Tom on the louvres of the heater. They make versions for most cars.

[vulcan42]

I still don't understand how, just because the police go an advanced driving course, they can suddenly see through the gadgets blocking their windscreen, while we lesser mortals have to have them mounted in less then useful positions.

[ToraToraTora]

thats good for satnav smoneybags, not much good for a camera!

[SlackAlice]

This is my dash cam. If you skip and fast forward to 11:30 it gives you an idea where it is positioned behind the rearview mirror.

[TWR]

Seems a good one Slack.

[MantaRay]

Talking of obstructions to vision, anybody else find that A pillars [which are getting thicker with every new model on most cars] are a greater problem than having a relatively small satnav stuck appropriately on the windscreen?

[bhg481]

Back in the 70's cars were advertised as having good all-round vision - I seem to remember the Ford Cortina Mk 1 having a lamp inside it to show just how well you could see around you to avoid accidents. The philosophy now seems to be make all-round visibility so poor with thick pillars containing airbags that you're sure to have an accident but you'll be well protected when you do.