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Original poster

To not comprehend why SATNAV is legal?

50 replies

NotanOtter · 30/12/2009 20:17

By which i mean one of those non built in variety which suction on to a windscreen?

My bugbear with these ( i repeat stick on windscreen variety ONLY) is that for example; were a small child to walk out infront of my car - it is at around this height that i would see it and the sat nav obscures my vision

I do not have one - but believe with legislation in place to prevent the use of mobile phones in cars - i personally find the sat nav on the winscreen thing bizarre

Am i being unreasonable to thing these things dangerous or am i missing something?

OP posts:
PrivetDancer · 30/12/2009 20:22

I've never found them to obscure my view. I can only imagine the ones you've seen have been bizarrely positioned.
Frankly if the first you see of a small child is through your front windscreen you're not in a very good position anyway.

sherby · 30/12/2009 20:22

they aren't that big though, I fail to see how it could block your vision that much?

people have all kinds of crap hanging from their rear view mirror which could in theory block seeing something

southeastastra · 30/12/2009 20:32

i was pretty about them too at first. but they're great. you don't even have to stick them to the window. they're very small too and i doubt people gawp at them instead of the road

DillieTantie · 30/12/2009 20:32

I understand where you are coming from with the obstructed vision issue.
FWIW, research has suggested that listening to satnav has the same effect on drivers' concentration as having a conversation on a mobile phone.
Legislation on this would be rather problematic, I guess, as so many folks use satnav. Of course, the upside of satnav is that mad people who have it don't study a map whilst driving. I am not being facetious - I have seen drivers doing this on the motorway
Satnav is an issue under study by the AA.

FlorenceandtheMincePieMachine · 30/12/2009 20:45

We were a bit at a driver ahead of us recently who had his large satnav stuck in the middle of his windscreen, as if he was playing Super Mario. It was definitely obscuring his view and his driving was truly appalling.

I do find them very distracting and when I pinch my dad's I use it just with the voice - I don't look at the screen or have it on my windscreen. However, I do think that they are a very useful tool and certainly made my recent long drive to see a friend much less stressy, so I wouldn't want them banned.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 30/12/2009 21:30

thanks for replies

My problem with them is almost for a very slow or staionary vehicle in a built up or busy area ie.zebra crossing

were a child right in front of your car their head could be at exactly the right height to be obscured. you could then set off - oblivious to this

It does obsess me somewhat. Having said that i have never been in a car with one but do ride down the motorway wondering how people can really see whats ahead of them

I also sit in traffic seeing people fiddling with them etc and curse

same with driving smokers tbh i am frequently heard to utter ' look at the road mate - too busy smoking your fag'

OP posts:
maryz · 30/12/2009 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

snowedinwithJjandtheBean · 30/12/2009 22:14

the first time dp used one i held it the whole time because he wasnt happy with where it was.
Now he has it on the other side of the steering wheel near the wing mirror IYSWIM? it doesnt distract him but when necessary he can have a glance.

However when theres both of us, the passenger always holds it!

Prinnie · 30/12/2009 22:16

It's because most people put them in the middle of the windscreen instead of the corner of the windscreen to the right of the steering wheel.

PrivetDancer · 30/12/2009 22:23

I think you should probably sit in a car with one before calling for a ban

I agree fiddlabilty must be far more dangerous than the view obstruction. We have an in built one now and you can't actually do anything on it if the car is moving, annoying for a passenger but I can see the point.

southeastastra · 30/12/2009 22:30

the wire would get in the way if you put it to the right surely?

you can buy little padded nests for them i saw the other day in innovations or somewhere.

cat64 · 30/12/2009 22:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
NotanOtter · 30/12/2009 22:35

snowedinwithj i think your dhs positioning sounds safer than the normal ctntral to and low on the windscreen

OP posts:
Meglet · 30/12/2009 22:35

I stick mine to the little window to the right of the steering wheel. I never actually touch it / look at it once we've set off, I just need the voice to get me round areas I'm not familiar with. I used to get hopelessley (sp) lost before I had it, it does make me feel more confident when it's just me and the 2 dc's in the car.

SheikYerbouti · 30/12/2009 22:38

what's wrong with a cocking map, I ask ye?

I have never had satnav and I have never got lost

Our local paper loves the "fuck off HGV gets suck in narrow country lane because of satnav" stories.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 30/12/2009 22:39

meglet that sounds great and i can see it is useful

OP posts:
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 30/12/2009 22:39

Regardless of where on the windscreen I stick mine, it almost invariably falls off.

Especially in cold weather, I notice.

MmeLindt · 30/12/2009 22:40

My Dad puts his sat nav on the side near the door but I prefer to have it in the middle so that the passenger can do the fiddling.

It does not obstruct my vision of the road but I could see that fiddling with it could be dangerous. I try to set it before driving off so that I don't have to do anything with it when I am driving.

They are certainly safer than grappling with a map while driving.

blithedance · 30/12/2009 22:40

It's a difficult one - they will probably end up being banned because there's a possibility of twits using them unsafely. I really value my satnav as I drive a lot for work and have terrible sense of direction.

Having read this though I'm going to look at getting a dashboard mount for it as I'm quite short and it does obscure the bottom of the screen a bit.

I've tried it in that right hand corner and think it actually blocks the view of the pavement worse.

MmeLindt · 30/12/2009 22:42

Sheik
Do you do a lot of driving in unfamiliar areas though?

We have moved 3 times in the past 5 years and without a satnav I would have found it much more stressful. Even finding the nearest supermarket/DIY store/paediatrician is easy with a sat nav.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 30/12/2009 22:43

i am typical female brain rubbish at map reading but do look up route on google etc before a long trip

if we are out together dp and i share map reading or pull over

OP posts:
HopingForASunnyDay · 30/12/2009 22:44

In principle, I agree, but having worked in the motor insurance industry, you are statistically much more likely to have an accident if you are lost, as you are paying attention to your route rather than the road,

You are even more likely than that to have a collision if you are reading a map for obvious reasons.

So yes, I agree that it would be ideal if everyone knew exactly where they were going at all times and therefore didn't need any guidance. Unfortunately that's not practical so a SatNav (being the lesser of the evils) is probably the safest bet if you are driving in unfamiliar terretory.

HopingForASunnyDay · 30/12/2009 22:45

Territory, dagnammit

also, not everyone can afford cars that have a built in SatNav unit...

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 30/12/2009 22:45

i've never seen anyone drive with it in the middle, you're supposed to put them to the side, aren't you? i don't get the small child issue tbh, you're in Big Trouble already if there's a kid there, they'd have to be practically under the wheels.

violethill · 30/12/2009 22:48

If you're daft enough to position it where it obstucts your view, you shouldn't be driving at all!

Used properly and positioned sensibly they aren't a hazard at all. There is no reason to fiddle with them once you've set where you're going either. You're more likely to be distracted while tuning the radio or changing the cd tbh