GPS not allowed in Cali???

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

typically you can find aftermarket brackets, cigarette lighter mounts, or sticky things. delphi xm radios come with adhesive mounts for dashboards and are about the same size as some gps devices.

the law is there to protect you and others and i agree with the law in principle. ive never understood why newer vehicles have so many blindspots. my old chevelle had better sight lines than my saturn, my wifes pontiac vibe, or any suv i've driven in the past 5 years and the chevelle only had a driver side mirror and a rearview mirror, no passenger mirror. we dont need to introduce a blindspot infront to go with all the other blindspots in the vehicle

If you're smart about where you mount it on the windshield, you can do it without blocking visibility in most cars. A good spot is often low down to the left of the gauge cluster. Its funny that its illegal to mount a GPS on the windshield, yet other small items are REQUIRED to be mounted there like parking permit stickers and toll transponders.

[tande1n5]

People still do it all the time, and I wouldn't worry too much. This law also precludes you from hanging fuzzy dice or a graduation tassel, or a rosary from your mirror, but people still do it, and typically you'll only get written up if 1) You're REALLY unlucky or 2) You're getting it for something else and you've managed to **** the cop off.

[cobmw]

Did you know that the Democrats who run CA pass over 1000 new laws each year? How could there possibly be 1000 problems each year that need a law? This windshield law is a good example of their utter nonsense.

Many of these laws are payoffs to the Democrat's big campaign contributors: the teachers unions (anti charter school and homeschool legislation) and to the lawyers (plenty of opportunities to sue just about anyone for any reason). Great government in the once-was golden state.

[snogirl]

I use my Garmin and just put it on the seat next to me or between the 2 seats in the storage area...works wonders!!!

[notmeofficer]

I would never cite for this,, I might use it as probable cause to stop a dirtbag.. but I dont see very many crooks running around with GPS's on the windshields..

There are legit reasons NOT to mount it on your windshield (other than the vehicle code.. which as an aside is a section we use a lot)
1) Its another item in "head level sight line" that becomes a missile in an accident
2) It puts it in direct sun (usually) which isnt great for the unit

Most companies tha make GPS's make different mounting brackets for applications other than windshield, There are aftermarket companies such as "ram mount" that make really nice gps mounts. There is no need to drill holes in anything.. 3m 2 sided tape, industrial strength velcro, etc work well

I mount mine where it is still in eye line (so you dont remove your eyes from the road) while not obstructing the view through the front windshield.


Laws... hmm.. this is a whole other thread.. but it is the democratically controlled legislature making them.. I say off with their heads.. um ,, I mean vote them out

[bmphill]

It is allowable to mount a GPS on your windshield in Ca, but the unit must be mounted in the corner of the windshield. Quote taken from DMV website: sec 26708 (a): "(12) 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."

[drshang]

My opinion is this is one of the many, many laws that exist that rarely get enforced and you don't have to worry about it unless you do something to antagonize a cop or otherwise look sketchy and give them a reason to search you further. Cops, in general, are reasonable human beings and if you don't go out of your way to upset them they won't go out of your way to use the laws against you in a non-good faith way.

[Axxlrod]

A cop buddy told me the real reason behind this law was so that radar detectors (which are legal in CA) can't be used, as they must be attached to the windshield to have line of sight to work properly.

Cops don't care if you have a GPS unit on your windshield, but they don't like radar detectors, even though they are legal.

[bayarea-girl]

At Best Buy they sell a sack like holder that you can place any where and put your GPS in. I like it better than the mounting stuff because I can place it in the middle of the car and it doesn't move.

[Curmudgeon]

As has already been indicated above, the law has changed to accomodate windsahield mounts provided they're properly placed. I don't like anything on my dash because in the event of an accident it can become a missle causing injury or death. Two pounds of bean bag and/or a GPS unit and mount could do serious damage at head or throat level.

I use a vent mount that can be fastened and unfastened in seconds, holds the GPS at a comfortable spot in terms of viewing it and can be easily moved from vehicle to vehicle. It also places it between the front seats in terms of trajectory should it become dislogded during an accident