California Windshield Mounts Update
Update: This bill was signed today, Sept 29, 2008.
We’ve talked about the locations where you can’t mount a GPS on your windshield; California and Minnesota. California is now considering a bill that would allow the following exception:
A portable Global Positioning System (GPS), which may be mounted in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver or in a 5-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest to the driver, if the system is used only for door-to-door navigation while the motor vehicle is being operated and outside of an airbag deployment zone.
A couple of issues come up. First, putting the GPS in the lower right corner makes it (obviously) impossible for the driver to reach– perhaps that is a good thing. Second, the lower left corner is possible to reach, but difficult, and will often lead to power cords stretching across the top of the dash where they can more easily get tangled.
Another issue is that there are a few GPS devices out there with 4″ screens that are wider than the five inches allowed in the lower left corner. The Magellan Maestro (pictured to the right, click on it for a larger view) is a good example of that.
So why didn’t they allow windshield mounting before? What were the reasons?
Safety as it can obstruct a portion of your view.
But isn’t it worse if you have to look away from the windshield to the GPS?
I suppose it depends on the situation.
Just an update that this bill was signed today.
Since it has been signed, are we CA folks able to mount it at the bottom left and right corners now? Or will we have to wait until it goes into effect on a certain date?