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DO THEY NOT WANT TO SEE SOMEONE BEFORE THEY RUN THEM DOWN?? WILL THE EVEN NOTICE THE [b]*BUMP* *BUMP*[/b] WHEN THEY RUN OVER A CHILD/BABY ROBIN IN THE ROAD??? Why are they creating a new blind spot in the middle of their field of vision?
Can we shoot these morons on sight?
They have bad eyesight - so it's best to put it close where they can not only see it, but reach it to mess with the buttons too.
Am I the only one who thinks its best in that position (albeit low down)? If you put it at the side you're just increasing the size of the blind spot caused by the A pillar (which are already very thick on modern cars). At least if it's in the middle the object you don't want to hit has had to travel to through your field of vision to get to the blind spot caused by the sat nav.
People with their sat-nav in THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSCREEN.......GET IN THE SEA!
Meh in the middle of the screen its already down behind my spare wheel so its no obscurin any more of my view 🙂
I'm almost wishing I'd not opened this thread. Still, worse than middle of the screen is the old bloke I followed the other day who had it in the middle of his side of the screen. Amazed if he could the the road at all. This is why we need traffic cops back out there patrolling. Those average speed cameras on the M1 are never going to spot this life threatening behaviour!
For the record, when I use mine, it's bottom centre so something would have to actually climb up my bonnet before the satnav obscures it.
Depends how tall they are. A mechanic once insisted I remove a sticker from my windscreen (parking pass for FB world cup) as it obscured the view therefore warrant of fitness fail. His view maybe. I would have had to get a booster seat to even notice it was there.
SHOUTING!!!!! (just thought I'd join in...there, that's better)
surely the best place for a sat-nav to be mounted is the bottom right hand side of the windscreen by the wing-mirror as you'll be looking in that direction regularly anyway and it's away from the rest of the windscreen
I completely agree OP ... and to add...
A chip larger than a 5p in the central part of your windscreen and I believe its a MOT fail.
How does that work ?
Bottom/middle for me - couldn't put on the right anyway as would have power cable problems as socket is by my hand brake.
Because your window can bullseye from that size of chip quick.
You sure its a sat nav and not a dash cam ? Seen some dodgy placements of them also
#Bumpbumpsquint
A chip larger than a 5p in the central part of your windscreen and I believe its a MOT fail.How does that work ?
Might attract seagulls
at least its just a satnav, not like the ipad i saw the other day stuck to the middle of their windscreen, and it wasnt an ipad mini either.
Didnt think modern windscreen could bullseye ... ?
and the fail was because of impaired vision.... ??
happy to be educated
Bottom right for me, even though the cable just about reaches across to the centre console. If I had it the bottom middle I wouldn't be able to read it properly. I only use it if I absolutely have to - I hate to see them on other people's screens, don't know why really ....
Am I the only one who thinks its best in that position (albeit low down)?
Maybe, I put mine at the very bottom of the windscreen to the right of the steering wheel. Doesn't even obscure any windscreen, only obscures blank plastic of the dash. It's actually closer there than in the middle.
Might be harder to reach there though if you are short.
Related annoyance,
Car passes like the ones used on the Eurotunnel. "Here's a piece of card roughly the size of Belgium. Please hang it from your rear view mirror." Um, the windscreen's kinda made of glass for a reason, you know...
A sat nav in your central field of vision is also an MOT fail if I remember correctly, the tester will often remove it and think he/she is meant to put an advisory on the MOT. Correct me if I am wrong.Not from experience but a greater pool of knowledge , bloke stood at the bar in the local!!
On another point , the bell ends that use them in their local area, followed someone living local home from work , sat nav blazing away in middle of screen, can only assume they spent years getting lost on the way home for tea!!
On another point , the bell ends that use them in their local area, followed someone living local home from work , sat nav blazing away in middle of screen, can only assume they spent years getting lost on the way home for tea!!
Even if you know the route, they're handy for traffic updates.
Fair enough Cougar but we drive 1-2 miles maximum down one road through a couple of sets of traffic lights until we turn off to relevant housing estate!!!
On another point , the bell ends that use them in their local area, followed someone living local home from work , sat nav blazing away in middle of screen, can only assume they spent years getting lost on the way home for tea!!
Mine is provided by work and tracks my location and mileage so if I didn't use it all the way home then I wouldn't be reimbursed for fuel correctly. (It's not in the middle of the screen though)
centre, as low as it'll go above the dash for me. I suppose if I was a dwarf it would block my view of something other than the end of the bonnet but then I wouldn't be able to see over the steering wheel either.
Fair enough Cougar but we drive 1-2 miles maximum down one road through a couple of sets of traffic lights until we turn off to relevant housing estate!!!
More importantly, if that's your commute why the *** are you driving it??
Middle of the windscreen here, just below the rear-view mirror. Everything on the road is 'below' the screen.
What's the ****ing problem?
(since we're getting all shouty)
I used to have mine in the centre of the screen, as low as the mount could possibly go. I did notice that it was sitting on the back seat after an MOT test, though...
It was the best position I found for visibility at the time, however, now I use a Nite-ize Steely stuck to the front centre of the dash, just above the centre console; much easier to read and adjust, if necessary, there's much less cable floating around, and it's much neater and tidier than a big lump of plastic stuck to the glass.
Just have to be a bit careful where I put the phone, seeing as how it's got a high-power magnet stuck to the back...
I have mine in the centre of the windscreen however note that is not in my central field of view.
At 6'2" I am looking down, way over the top of the sat Nov. If anything the rear view mirror obstructs more of my view.
Has to go in the middle so the kids and wife can see how long it is before we get to where we are going.
Does it really matter for those following behind?
My map sits in the passenger door pocket.
My neighbour has his massive samsung to right of the middle of the screen, really high up on the drivers side of the screen (All the time) on an even bigger bracket. He drives too fast and can't speak English. It's pointless me even mentioning the moronic stupidity of his ways, he'd just look at me funny.
I just sigh.
[quote=Ewan ]Am I the only one who thinks its best in that position (albeit low down)? If you put it at the side you're just increasing the size of the blind spot caused by the A pillar (which are already very thick on modern cars). At least if it's in the middle the object you don't want to hit has had to travel to through your field of vision to get to the blind spot caused by the sat nav.
So it's better than somewhere which is even worse? Presumably it's not possible to put the satnav somewhere it doesn't obscure any of the screen?
Better than holding it in hand while texting on same device at the same time. Yes, you the blonde lady in the mini tonight.
I have it in the middle low down. It doesnt block the view as I'm looking up the road not at my bonnet.
My ex used to keep her sat nav in the house "incase someone steals it!!".
Even better are the ones on the passenger window, unhappy old man driving, wife with a face like a bulldog sucking a lemon in the passenger seat...
he's driving, she's still the boss of him 😆
Worse still are the people that drive at night with the bloody thing in daytime mode!
Was waiting for that Graham s!!! I drive the works van and can set off in any direction everyday and never no where im coming home from!!Oh and I dont use a sat nav just tend to google map night before and then wing it!!!
As for working watching people, jesus!!!
An ex policeman who gave us a driving course at work said anything obscuring your view out of the windscreen in the area the wipers cover should be removed. I've seen iPads stuck to windscreens which must be the craziest idea ever.
o it's better than somewhere which is even worse? Presumably it's not possible to put the satnav somewhere it doesn't obscure any of the screen?
Of course it is! Didn't you read my post above?
My apologies CZ, I thought my sarcasm was sufficiently obvious. I don't own a dedicated satnav, but if I use my phone it gets mounted on one of the air vents below the level of the screen and presumably in a similar place to where you have yours (also in pretty much the same place built in ones are).
The absolute perfect place for mine, usability and unobstructive visibility-wise, is over most of the engine warning lights. I'd like to stick it on the screen but it's very far away
Stick it in front on the speedo.
Dash with Steely:
[img][url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/278/19370847330_d9bfc3e6e2_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/278/19370847330_d9bfc3e6e2_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/vvJE3o ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/countzero1/ ]Adrian Hillier[/url], on Flickr
Dash with phone mounted:
[img][url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/405/19558778645_80e633c06b_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/405/19558778645_80e633c06b_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/vNkRtt ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/countzero1/ ]Adrian Hillier[/url], on Flickr
I thought nothing was allowed on a windscreen ? As above I have a map and a good memory for a route once I have looked at the map
Had a mazda 3 through work. Barely any windscreen left due to the massive windscreen sensor behind the rear view mirror and fixed tv sized sat nav/media wotsit on top of the dashboard.
Other than not being able to see it was quite a nice car.
Blimey, how ever do you reach the pedals if you're that short ?Middle of the windscreen here, just below the rear-view mirror. Everything on the road is 'below' the screen.What's the ****ing problem?
I'm 6'2".
That Steelie thing looks great. Is this it?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nite-Ize-Steelie-Mount-Holder/dp/B00BAQKRHY
Seems to be lots of cheap copies too
Yup, that's the puppy! Works really well, very unobtrusive, compared to a regular mount, and it's strong enough to hold my iP6+ with an Otterbox fitted, as in the photo.
The only issue I had was with the structure of the case, which is a hard plastic inner with a flexible rubber-type outer; sticking the magnet to the outside doesn't work because it stretches and pulls away from the rest of the case.
Solving this involved carefully cutting a neat circle out of the case outer and sticking the magnet to the hard inner.
Bit of a phaff, but it worked perfectly.
I suppose the only other issue is with the larger phones the amount of vertical/horizontal adjustment is relatively small, but it's still more than an installed unit, and I drive by spoken instructions mostly, just a quick glance at the screen to confirm from the map.
I use tetrax magnetic mounts, same principle as CZ's and similarly mounted away from the windscreen - you can also get a variety of bits that let you clip it to the air vents etc if you want to
(had to take a dremel to my (leather) case too)
I'll put my hand up and admit I used to mount my mobile phone (for Google Maps) in the middle. I'm tall and it got mounted low down. I personally didn't feel it obstructed the view but I moved it when recently on a Driver Awareness Course (ahem) the guy said this was a definite no no and you could get pulled for it.
So it got moved to the right by the driver side pillar and I agree with a previous poster that it seems more obstructive there. And slightly more distracting when you glance that way for directions.
That said I was following some crazy* woman this morning who had her Sat Nav mounted slight driver side underneath rear view mirror. How the hell that ISN'T obstructing I'll never know!
*stuck behind a tractor for all of 5 mins this morning 3 aborted passes before it was finally safe to pass, she gave the tractor driver a trailer full of car horn and middle finger. I followed, road was clear we got up to 60 and she decided to brake test me.
Hoping I don't meet her on the road when I'm out on my bike.
Yeah, sat nav plastered to the central area of the windshield is a blind spot and bad practice, imo.
Worked with a guy once who treated himself to a satnav. Asked me to help set it up for him. His main priority was to have the volume set as loud as possible for the audio direction instructions.
He didn't see that well.
kongman28 - MemberAn ex policeman who gave us a driving course at work said anything obscuring your view out of the windscreen in the area the wipers cover should be removed.
Probably not a bad start point but there's a fair amount of area at the bottom of my screen and wipers that just gives me a nice view of the bonnet.
So, you've taken the seat out and you sit on the floor ?I'm 6'2".
Or else you drive a bus ?
Am I warm ?
I was chatting with my optician, said I'm glad my current car lets me put my satnav far enough away from me* that I don't need bifocals. She spoke of an elderly lady she'd seen who said something like 'now I don't see so well, I have my satnav right in front of me so I don't need to see the road so much'. I hope the optician referred this to whoever needs to know, the lady's GP or the DVLA. Obviously she didn't say.
*Up against the A-pillar, close to the line of sight but not in it. I'd like a head-up display, please, projected onto the screen.
And why are satnavs in landscape format, wouldn't portrait be the better option?
[i]Am I warm ? [/i]
Relatively! You should be 37 degrees C, to be precise.
slowoldgit - MemberAnd why are satnavs in landscape format, wouldn't portrait be the better option?
I use a phone, it'll do both but I prefer landscape tbh. I think maybe just because I'm used to screens being landscape, mostly.
scaredypants - MemberSo, you've taken the seat out and you sit on the floor ?
Or else you drive a bus ?
Am I warm ?
the vehicle in question is a vauxhall zafira, it's basically a bus, yes.
Has anyone mentioned Sat Navs at night? In-front of the drivers face, daytime setting, blazing away!
Not only restricting their view, but the driver won't have any night vision left.
I didn't want to shout about this, but BOY IT MAKES ME MAD!
People with their tw*t-nav in THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSCREEN
FTFY
ArcticBeast - Member
at least its just a satnav, not like the ipad i saw the other day stuck to the middle of their windscreen, and it wasnt an ipad mini either.
I remember seeing this on the A1 a while back, full sized iPad (the orignal with the wider bezel) smack bang in the middle of the screen under the rear view mirror.
I'm surprised I didn't crash into anything in front of me as I stared open mouthed they drove by!
The National Trust book when it comes round says you shouldn't stick any stickers in the area cleared by the windscreen wipers.
I have my Sat Nav at the very base of the windscreen in the centre. I would prefer it right up against the A-pillar but for some reason in the Fabia Skoda have had the wisdom to put the 12v output behind the handbrake- no cable will reach all the way to the A pillar without going diagonally across the driver.
What's the view on built in sat navs in the centre console where you have to completely take your eyes off the road to view it? My wife gets really cross about these.
[i]What's the view on built in sat navs in the centre console where you have to completely take your eyes off the road to view it? My wife gets really cross about these. [/i]
Are you being serious? No, you're not.
😉
What's the view on built in sat navs in the centre console where you have to completely take your eyes off the road to view it? My wife gets really cross about these.
They only take a quick glance, like when you look in your mirror or your instrument panel. Even if it's attached to the screen you're still taking your eyes off the road.
What's the view on built in sat navs in the centre console where you have to completely take your eyes off the road to view it?
TBH, it's fine for me. Once running it only needs a quick glance now and then because you've also got audible voice directions. No different to glancing at your speedo, really.
Biggest problem I find with it is the whole thing is touch screen and controls the sat nav, radio, etc so the temptation is to faff about with it when driving and you can't really do that safely. There's voice control on mine and basic controls on the wheel / dash, so ideally they should be disabling the touch controls when the car's in motion but there's still stuff you can't do without the touchscreen like respond to traffic alerts. In that respect it's a pretty poor design.
TBH though, I can't offhand think of a factory-fit sat nav I've used that hasn't been a bit crap in some way or other.
i like those magnetic steely things......
but doesnt the magnet affect the phone at all?
Phew. That's sort of my view as well.
What's the view on built in sat navs in the centre console where you have to completely take your eyes off the road to view it?
I have one in the Focus. The main screen is in the centre console but it also shows the next move on the trip computer in the dash and it talks, so I don't find myself staring at the main screen that often. The main issue is that it's actually pretty crap as a satnav so I end up using NavFree or Google Maps if it is remotely complicated.
Mine has to go in the middle, to the left of the telly.
I've seen quite a few cars with satnav smack bang in front of the drivers face so while I'm in front of the car I can't see the drivers face, pretty sure this means driver will have difficulty seeing me.What's the ****ing problem?
That's the problem 🙂
I've heard the "anything obscuring where the wipers wipe" thing before, dunno how true it is.
According to this-
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_830.htm
it's anything that isn't an "official" sticker (disabled passes, tax discs, parking permits etc are fine) encroaching more than 10mm into the "the swept area of the windscreen".
Just to make you really angry...
Notice how slow they drive at night, cos it ruins your night vision as they always have the brightness too high. Can't see anything on a dark road.
Kill them all to death.
.. And don't get me started on people wearing flip flops, with sat navs in the middle of their wind screen - good grief! 🙄
How about folk with sat navs on thier feet and flip flops on the windscreen?
.. And don't get me started on people wearing flip flops, with sat navs in the middle of their wind screen - good grief! 🙄
You guys are funny.
On the air vents - does not obstruct the screen at all.
I tried putting my flip flops on the air vents, but found my braking reaction time wasn't very good.
I don't put my satnav in the middle of the screen, dashcam's already there. 😛
Just noticed my housemates phone holder (for his sat nav and hands free) is positioned at head height right next to the A pillar :head-banginging-on-wall: