Phone holder

[Jimbobby12]

Hi guys,  talking to the brother in law the other day and he said that his son put his car in for an mot and they said that they could not pass it with his phone holder were it was (bottom right of his windscreen) that is where I have mine (see piccy) just wondered what peeps opinion is on this ?

[Baxlin]

Isn’t there a defined ‘driving zone’ that mustn’t be obscured in any way, even by such as a windscreen chip (for it to cause an MOT test failure?  So if part of the phone/holder is in that zone, it would/should be a failure.  Personally I don’t like to see phones there anyway, but that’s just me (see sig below!).

Edited 2 January, 2023 by Baxlin

[skomaz]

I'd agree with @Baxlin...   I think that would be classed as an obstruction to visibility and an MOT fail.  I've seen much worse though all the same.

 

personally in that position it'd drive me nuts...   It really needs to be at or below top of dash level and in the centre for me.

 

link to guidance.  I reckon that holder obstructs vision of the road within the swept area

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/3-visibility

 

 

 

Edited 2 January, 2023 by skomaz

[Jimbobby12]

3 hours ago, Baxlin said:

Isn’t there a defined ‘driving zone’ that mustn’t be obscured in any way, even by such as a windscreen chip (for it to cause an MOT test failure?  So if part of the phone/holder is in that zone, it would/should be a failure.  Personally I don’t like to see phones there anyway, but that’s just me (see sig below!).

The link says if it significantly affects the drivers view, so it seems a grey area, one mot tester says it does and another says it doesn’t ? also how can companies legally sell windscreen mounts ?

[Jimbobby12]

1 minute ago, Jimbobby12 said:

The link says if it significantly affects the drivers view, so it seems a grey area, one mot tester says it does and another says it doesn’t ? also how can companies legally sell windscreen mounts ?

and then you see all the large swinging dice from the rear view mirror 🥴

[skomaz]

Yep it'll be subjective I'm sure.  As I said I've seen worse...   Such as a large phone in the middle of the windscreen on a 107...   The driver must've had a massive blind spot... 

[Baxlin]

9 hours ago, Jimbobby12 said:

how can companies legally sell windscreen mounts ?

To be fitted outside the swept area?

 

Slight tangent, and exploring the ‘significantly affecting’ aspect, what about Head Up Displays?  Or vehicles presented for MoT with filthy windscreens? (are testers allowed to fix faults ie clean the windscreen?)

[Ootohere]

They can decline to test a car.

Or change the order they do and start with a test of the wipers and washers.

 

 

As to windscreen mounts, they are like air fresheners or furry dice, legal to sell but an issue at a MOT or with Police Officers maybe hanging from the rear view mirror and obstructing the drivers view.

[PetrolDave]

10 hours ago, Jimbobby12 said:

how can companies legally sell windscreen mounts ?

As with so many things selling them isn't illegal but using/fitting them is.

[Jimbobby12]

Thanks for all the replies & opinions folks,

 

Guess when it does go for its mot I’ll remove it, I would think some testers may pass it and some may not, I don’t consider that it significantly impairs my vision in that bottom area of the windscreen but as has been said it’s subjective,

 

it’s been mentioned that it could be better fitted below the level of the dash and central, to do that it looks like I would need one of those flimsy things that you push onto an air vent, never been keen on these 1, it blocks the airflow and 2, I don’t want my phone frying when the heater is on. The mount I’ve got is expensive and the best I have ever had (quad lock) think it was Skomaz that said it would drive him nuts sat there, in all honesty it doesn’t bother me at all, you do see them stuck right in the middle of the screen, now that would bother me,

 

a lot of people do use their phone for sat nav I personally don’t, but the mount wirelessly charges my phone and I find that a bit handy but in all honesty I could just put the phone in a door pocket and Apple play would still work no problem for my Waze sat nav, phone connection, music, and everything else Apple play does.

 

Cheers folks

[Jim H]

I've always mounted my windscreen phone mount in the centre of screen to left of driver.  It means you don't have cables dangling down, plus the passenger can read the map too. I normally remove it after every journey, plus my old one used to fall off anyway.  Ironically I bought a new mount and a new phone at same time, but use Android Auto all the time, so don't need it.

 

On a slightly similar note a few years ago my brothers car failed it's MOT because his work car pass was stuck on the right hand side of the screen. "Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching by more than 10mm within zone 'a'"