Driving with a Sat Nav
With so many gadgets inbuild into our cars or available as devices, it’s important to understand how to use these safely and within the law. Driving with a Sat Nav has made our lives much easier, yet they still have the potential to distract drivers and divert your attention off the road ahead. Drastically increasing your chances of an accident. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to know how to use these safely.
Driving With a Satnav – Positioning
UK law does not dictate where you should place a sat nav, however it does state that you must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead. Fixing it to the screen is often the most common. If you do this, you should keep it as low as possible so it won’t have an impact on your visibility of the road. This is especially important as if stopped by the police, you could receive a £1000 fine and three penalty points on your licence.
The alternative to this is placing it on a non-slip dashboard mat. This should not be placed over any airbags and keep it close to the windscreen so it doesn’t block your view.
Driving With a Satnav – Using a mobile
A large majority of people are choosing to download apps instead of buying a whole new device. However, the law for mobile phones still applies even if you’re using it as a sat nav. In order to stay legal, use a phone cradle to secure your phone to the windscreen whilst driving. This can also be attached to the central console or placed on a dash mat.
Remember that it’s illegal to hold your phone whilst driving, which includes using it for directions. You’ll receive 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if caught by police. Therefore drivers who’ve been driving for under two years would lose their licence. It’s best to set the destination before you move off and to never touch the phone until you’ve safely parked and the engine is off.
Driving With a Satnav – On the Drive
Regardless of the type of sat nav you use, it’s important to use it safely. They don’t just give spoken instructions, visual guidance is extremely useful however all of your focus should not be on the screen. Quick glances towards it are more than enough, coupled with the voice directions should allow you to plan ahead.
Although they may be useful, they’re never 100% accurate. You should never completely be relying on them and observing the road signs is just as valuable as the directions of a sat nav. Never blindly follow the directions given by the sat nav as they cannot adapt to changing road conditions such as diversions or road closures.
You must retain full control of the vehicle at all times. The police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because you’re distracted and this can lead to prosecution. The law still applies when you’re stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic and if you’re supervising a learner driver.
Should you buy a sat nav or use a mobile app?
The law and potential punishments may make it seem too much of a risk to use your mobile phone, but they still have many advantages- as long as they’re used within the law. Sat nav apps are often free such as Google Maps and come built-in with powerful features. These include speed camera detection and live traffic updates, which often must be paid for as extras with a physical sat nav. Although, you’ll have to pay for a mount for your phone and ensure you have enough of a data allowance to run these apps as they’ll often consume vast amounts of 4G.
Standalone sat navs, on the other hand, are built for a simple and streamless navigation experience. They usually have matt screens built to reduce glare from the sun, and they’ll never distract you with notifications, calls or texts.
Overall, both have their merits and fallbacks. Nevertheless, it’s important to stay legal whilst using either and remember the laws involved and the potential punishments. With the fines and points so high, it’s simply not worth the risk.
Driving With a Satnav – UK Driving Test
A large amount of the driving test will involve the independent driving section. During this part of the test, the examiner will require you to drive independently, either following road signs or direction from a sat nav. The satnav will be provided and set up by the examiner. The average waiting time fora practical driving test in the UK is well over 2 months. Earlier Driving Test Cancellations are possible through companies such as DTC UK.
