Illegal GPS mounting

[TyroneandGladys]

Was stopped by a Arizona Highway Patrol officer for having my GPS mounted on the middle of the windshield. Was told that it was only allowed on the windshield in the bottom right or left lower corner. Luckily only got a warning,
What is funny is it illegal to mount your GPS in the center of your windshield in Arizona but it is not illegal to text while driving.

GPS mounting by state

[rhagfo]

TyroneandGladys wrote:
Was stopped by a Arizona Highway Patrol officer for having my GPS mounted on the middle of the windshield. Was told that it was only allowed on the windshield in the bottom right or left lower corner. Luckily only got a warning,
What is funny is it illegal to mount your GPS in the center of your windshield in Arizona but it is not illegal to text while driving.

GPS mounting by state

It would be interesting to know what you meant by middle? Dead center in your line of vision I can see a ticket!

I prefer the lower drivers side still in easy view but not blocking! I see people mount right below the rear view mirror, that would be a hazard in my book.

[azrving]

down home wrote:
Large screen GPS like Rand MNutty etc would block some vision in a car windscreen.
The majority of regulations/laws written these days are because somebody got bit by the nanny bug and though their ought to be a law.
2300 new regulations right before holiday by federal edict. Have no idea how many may have broken by driving to the store.
There is a level of out of bounds paranoia among LEO agencies these days.
Wife pulled to the shoulder to take a cell phone call. Deputy pulls in behind to see if there is a problem. Great appreciate that might have the engine seized or something. The whole time, at the window his eyes were darting over every bit, of the car interior. I bet he had a headache/eye ache by end of shift.

But, but, they care about us. They are here to help.

[down_home]

Large screen GPS like Rand MNutty etc would block some vision in a car windscreen.
The majority of regulations/laws written these days are because somebody got bit by the nanny bug and though their ought to be a law.
2300 new regulations right before holiday by federal edict. Have no idea how many may have broken by driving to the store.
There is a level of out of bounds paranoia among LEO agencies these days.
Wife pulled to the shoulder to take a cell phone call. Deputy pulls in behind to see if there is a problem. Great appreciate that might have the engine seized or something. The whole time, at the window his eyes were darting over every bit, of the car interior. I bet he had a headache/eye ache by end of shift.

[seaeagle2]

Dennis M M wrote:
Always amazes me to see folks with real bright GPS screens mounted in line of vision at night - that blue light totally kills your night vision. When I am out on the open road at night I set the cruise and turn the dash lights off, I want to be able to see whats out there. Never have dash lights above anything but minimum brightness. There is a reason most airplane instruments are red instruments

are you sure those are gps, the last 4 gps I've had (I'm a service tech and use them every day so they wear out), have an automatic night mode, dull dark screen.

[Dennis_M_M]

Always amazes me to see folks with real bright GPS screens mounted in line of vision at night - that blue light totally kills your night vision. When I am out on the open road at night I set the cruise and turn the dash lights off, I want to be able to see whats out there. Never have dash lights above anything but minimum brightness. There is a reason most airplane instruments are red instruments

[OkSixpack]

darsben wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

100ton wrote:
Must have been a slow day.

Or maybe the officer just got finished telling a parent their 8 year old had been run over and killed by a driver who didn't see them. And under what logic do people justify breaking one law because it isn't against the law to do something else? Just what other laws should be suspended and overlooked because Arizona doesn't ban texting while driving?

Ya that's it the officer has nothing better to do than to give the guy a warning about a gps

He could have given out a ticket instead of a warning.
Jim

[darsben]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

100ton wrote:
Must have been a slow day.

Or maybe the officer just got finished telling a parent their 8 year old had been run over and killed by a driver who didn't see them. And under what logic do people justify breaking one law because it isn't against the law to do something else? Just what other laws should be suspended and overlooked because Arizona doesn't ban texting while driving?

Ya that's it the officer has nothing better to do than to give the guy a warning about a gps

[westernrvparkow]

100ton wrote:
Must have been a slow day.

Or maybe the officer just got finished telling a parent their 8 year old had been run over and killed by a driver who didn't see them. And under what logic do people justify breaking one law because it isn't against the law to do something else? Just what other laws should be suspended and overlooked because Arizona doesn't ban texting while driving?

[wa8yxm]

The law (Obstructed vision) that applies pre-dates GPS by many decades.. It may or may not pre-date fuzzy dice hung from the rear view mirror but I suspect that is what it was specifically written to address (suspect = not sure however).

As for texting while driving... Some states are... Not up to date yet on that one. 50 years ago (We had laws against things stuck on windshield then) Texting was not ... Possible.

[IAMICHABOD]

the_vfox wrote:
Line of sight is the rule here. It has to be above or below the drivers line of sight. CA law seems just plain stupid, but that is nothing new for that state.

Just had to take that cheap shot didn't ya :R

[Oldme]

OkSixpack wrote:
Anything that blocks your view should be illegal.
Jim

That is the point.
I spent 26 years as a LEO.
Many States make their laws that simple and not try to list
everything possible.

[OkSixpack]

Anything that blocks your view should be illegal.
Jim

[myredracer]

Illegal here in BC. In fact, you aren't supposed to drive with anything hanging off your mirror that can obstruct your view like say a handicap or CG tag.

Distracted driving is illegal here too, but an awful lot of drivers do it anyway. The law is only good for when someone is in an accident and then the insurance company has something to blame you for.

[TyroneandGladys]

darsben wrote:
They use stuff like that as Probable cause to see what is going on. That is the usual reason the stop you for picayune ship. Then they can get a look at you and see if they see anything suspicious. Arpaio uses the same scenario to stop and look for illegals. If you were Hispanic and had a taillight out his officers where told to stop and make people prove citizenship. actually do a lot of that on I10 in Louisiana, Mississippi etc to look for drugs
You are probably an old white guy so do not fit any profile so it is unusual to you.
Now ask how did it feel?
How would you feel if it happened frequently?
Maybe a little minority understanding will be gained

Actually profiling had crossed my mind since I still have my old Colorado license plate on the front of my car and vehicles from Colorado have been being profiled since recreational marijuana sales were legalized in Colorado.

[K_Charles]

I have a GPS but I don't use it while driving down the road. There is nothing on my dash and I watch where I'm going.