Seemingly as with most things there is just way too much choice of usually incompatible software/hardware/systems to be able to make things easy (or economical) for the customer. With each 'solution' having slightly different pros & cons - the other ongoing satnav thread being a case in point.
Garmin all the way, a dedicated sat-nav is far more useful than getting £300/£600 fine & points for using your phone whilst driving.
I really don't like any of the expensive single malts and I'm loathed to buy any more to see if there is one I do. Besides, as I've said before on the whisky thread, I'm a bit of a pleb & once you get over the shock of the first couple of snorts you're off & running anyway
Which raises the question, is it legal to interact with a sat-nav or TFT screen, when driving a car or motorcycle ?
I fairly sure it isn’t. There is an agreement page when I spark my Garmin whereby I agree not to be pressing buttons whist driving.
With the number of manufacturers building them into the vehicles these days I can't believe it is, but if something went awry whilst you were there's the catch-all of driving without due care.
I’m sure a while back a driver was prosecuted for drinking a cup of Coffee whilst stationary in traffic, so I’m fairly confident messing with a sat nav device would be due care and attention if not a specific offence. The tech may well be in the car but it doesn’t allow you to use a touch screen whilst driving. From memory my mates BMW sat nav was operated by a dial and buttons.
It seems the initial 2003 law was created only for 'interactive communication' and has recently being updated to include any 'hand held use' of a mobile phone or (I think) a dedicated sat nav. Additionally if the phone/sat-nav is in a cradle you are still not allowed to touch them. Although you can still interact with the phone by way of a cars infotainment system you could still be prosecuted, as mentioned above, by the catch all driving without due care. https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-advice/mobile-phones/new-law/ The latter point is interesting especially considering the increasing trend of having car controls accessible only via a touchscreen. In response the Euro NCAP will only give a 5 star safety rating if various 'critical tasks' have basic control button, stalks or dials. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money...ar-makers-ditch-distracting-touchscreens.html
If the government website is up to date it is hand held devices only. https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law
If Garmin is from the good old US of A, which I believe it is, that will be the standard disclaimer to deal with the sort of morons that put their Winnebago into cruise control & go into the back to make a coffee... https://www.theguardian.com/guardianweekly/story/0,12674,1088652,00.html Every year the Stella website reviews frivolous lawsuits from across the US. The 2003 award went to Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma, proud owner of a new Winnebago Motor Home. Driving on the freeway, Merv set the cruise control at a legal 70mph and retired to the rear of his vehicle, to make himself a reviving cup of coffee. Mayhem ensued as the driverless RV careered across the public highway. Merv sued the manufacturer on the grounds that its manual had not warned him against leaving the driving seat. A jury awarded him $1.75m plus a new Winnebago.
