California law and mounting a GPS on the inside of my windshield

Discussion in 'General GPS Discussion' started by techman41973, Apr 13, 2012.

  1. techman41973

    techman41973 Guest

    California changed the law on mounting a GPS unit on your windshield,
    but the law still seems complicated and limits your options.

    (12) A portable Global Positioning System (GPS), which may be mounted
    in a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest
    removed from the driver or in a five-inch square in the lower corner
    of the windshield nearest to the driver and outside of an airbag
    deployment zone, if the system is used only for door-to-door
    navigation while the motor vehicle is being operated.
    http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm
    http://www.ehow.com/about_6513133_california-gps-windshield-law.html
    http://www.ehow.com/facts_7419344_california-law-gps-window-locations.html

    How many of you use a GPS device and mount it using a suction-cup
    windshield mount? Where on the windshield do you mount your unit?
    Have you ever been warned or fined by police? Thanks
     
    techman41973, Apr 13, 2012
    #1
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  2. Doesn't seem overly complicated to me. It's just saying it has to be
    down in the corner, instead of in the middle of everything like some
    idjits do it. Of course, I don't have one, mine are all built in or
    in my phone.

    Even with all the regulations, I still wind up at stoplights where I
    can't see the light from a normal seating position. I can think of
    one left turn lane where there is a sign for the other direction
    traffic that blocks the view of the signal. (Where the black SUV is,
    if I got the link right:
    http://maps.google.com/maps?q=vista...oid=w1V8si5uUKOeNa3JphEpsg&cbp=12,235.18,,0,0
    )

    jg
     
    jgar the jorrible, Apr 13, 2012
    #2
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  3. What does that last clause mean? That you can only mount the device there
    while you're obeying turn-by-turn directions from the device, but can't
    mount it there if you simply want to be able to look at a map and find your
    own way?
     
    Paul D. DeRocco, Apr 13, 2012
    #3
  4. Hi,

    The wording says to me that only large delivery trucks will meet the
    requirements. FedX, UPS, USPS ...

    I have my GPS mounted below the windshield and it works well there. UMMV
    (Delorme PN-60)

    http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10095

    shows the gripper mount, I found a different base that the gripper mates
    with and my Van Conversion shop mounted it to a air duct.

    SHF
     
    Stephen H. Fischer, Apr 13, 2012
    #4
  5. After early experiments with suction cup windshield mounts I now
    always mount the device, typically a smartphone, in a holder
    that hooks on to an air vent. This has a whole range of
    advantages, so much so that attaching one to the windshield
    seems like a truly bad idea.

    Would that not be allowed in California?

    Hans-Georg
     
    Hans-Georg Michna, Apr 14, 2012
    #5
  6. It's not complicated at all. You're allowed to mount your GPS on the lower
    corner of your windshield (either side).

    Of course if you're a solo driver, it doesn't really make sense to mount it
    on the lower corner of the passenger side.


    - Peter
     
    Peter Lawrence, Apr 15, 2012
    #6
  7. techman41973

    Holger Issle Guest

    And the text says that a device is allowed in the lower left corner of
    the windshield, given it is completely within a 5 inch range of that
    corner? With other words, many combinations of flat-angled windshields
    and devices are not legal, because even these are less than 5 inch
    wide they will not fit in that range as the windshield is monuted flat
    and the real corner can't be used.

    On the other side: I was in California often enough and never had any
    trouble with that.
    --

    Ciao,
    Holger (GUS-KOTAL, GUS#1100, GRR#51)

    90-92 Honda CB400 10 Mm | 93-95 Yamaha TDM 850 26 Mm
    95-97 KTM 620 LC4 13 Mm | seit 97 BMW R1100GS 81 Mm (Die Renndrecksau!)

    cu @ http://www.issle.de
     
    Holger Issle, Apr 15, 2012
    #7
  8. techman41973

    Phantom

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    Who would seriously be stupid enough to mount a GPS in the middle of the windshield.
     
    Phantom, Apr 16, 2012
    #8
  9. Simple, just mount it on the outside.
     
    Paul D. DeRocco, Apr 17, 2012
    #9
  10. techman41973

    Phantom

    Joined:
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    haha good one!
     
    Phantom, Apr 17, 2012
    #10
  11. [clipped long link because my newsreader semms to have mangled it :)]
    Suggestion: for long links, use http://tinyurl.com or http://bit.ly

    The result is a couple of dozen characters long with no more worries.
    The sites are easy to use.

    Example: here's the tinyURL of your long link:
    http://tinyurl.com/7s3b2cr

    343 characters reduced to 26 and no clipping...
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 19, 2012
    #11
  12. I read it as "while the motor vehicle is being operated" don't use it
    for anything other than "door-to-door navigation".

    And while the motor vehicle is not being operated, no restrictions.
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 19, 2012
    #12
  13. The only restrictions are on windshield mounting. Non-windshield mounts
    are not restricted.
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 19, 2012
    #13
  14. Best idea yet :)

    I use a rubberized pad with a GPS mount on it. I set it on top of the
    dashboard to the right of the steering wheel, where it's easy to see
    and doesn't block anything. It's legal, but it does vibrate a little.
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 19, 2012
    #14
  15. Some places block shorteners. Some funny people put in goatse.

    jg
     
    jgar the jorrible, Apr 20, 2012
    #15
  16. Example: here's the tinyURL of your long link:

    No one in his right mind trusts URL shorteners, no matter who sent them.
     
    John David Galt, Apr 21, 2012
    #16
  17. You needn't trust - it's trivially easy to verify.

    Of course, what you get is an expanded URL, just like the one you would
    have seen in the absence of a tiny URL. But you still have to figure
    out whether to trust the long version.

    Basically, your remark was silly...
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 21, 2012
    #17
  18. That's nice, but then everybody would have to know every such
    preview trick for every URL shortener system in existence.

    I agree that they should not be used at all.

    Hans-Georg
     
    Hans-Georg Michna, Apr 21, 2012
    #18
  19. techman41973

    Joe Makowiec Guest

    At least with tinyurl, you can go to the site (http://tinyurl.com/) and
    tell it that you always want to use preview.
     
    Joe Makowiec, Apr 21, 2012
    #19
  20. Don't forget what I said upthread: even a full URL can lead to bad
    things :)

    Sometimes I post both the tinyURL and the full URL, sometimes I use the
    preview form, and sometimes I choose not to worry about the people who
    can't or won't trust me.
     
    Gene E. Bloch, Apr 21, 2012
    #20
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