Motorist face warnings about sat-nav positioning from police

Motorists are being warned that they face a fine and possibly points on their license if they fail to position their sat-navs correctly. Drivers are being told that there is only one location where it is legal to position a sat-nav, should it be affixed to the windscreen.

Due to the location of the 12V socket in most vehicles, many sat-navs end up centrally positioned on the windscreen above the dashboard. However, this may be illegal, and quite subjective, with the Highway Code stating that “windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision”. The Road Traffic Act states “no person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road if he is in such a position that he cannot have full view of the road and traffic ahead”. This however, is all dependent on a persons height and seating position. With the fine being £100 and three points added to your license, care is needed when placing a sat-nav system. According to police, the only safe and legal place to situate a sat-nav is in the bottom right hand corner of the windscreen, anywhere else can potentially create a blind-spot for the driver, making left hand bends, crossings, and junctions particularly dangerous. One of the issues with placing the sat-nav on the bottom right of the windscreen is the potential for the power cable to become entangled in the steering wheel, so again great care is required as to where the cable is situated. The golden rule where placing any device on the windscreen is concerned is the following: if the device is situated within the sweep of the windscreen wipers, it is illegal.

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Image Author Jordaan