Legality of using phone maps instead of GPS

[Kiwi cop]

In this country using a cellphone while driving is illegal unless it is bluetoothed or otherwise so it is not hand held and making calls involves only using one or two buttons (Siri or handfree systemsj, or the phone is being used in a dash mount as a GPS.

Now I should probably clarify here that I am careful to distinguish what is acceptable use and what is not. I have stopped drivers for driving offences caused by using a phone as a GPS halons held or on their lap or making phone calls on speaker mode under the same conditions.

When booking our rental car I ensured that the car is bluetoothed enabled and I decided not to take up the GPS option in favour of using my phones maps systems. I then went out and got a new phone dash mount so I could take some travel video while on the move. Then yesterday my travel insurer sent me an e-mail link to an article which indicated that in some US states using a dash mounted phone as a GPS may not be legal.

We will be travelling in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

So my question is can I use a dash mount in all of these states so I can view the maps app if necessary while driving, or should I just leave the dash mount at home and set the destination at the start and put the phone back in my pocket relying on just the voice directions through the Bluetooth?

 

[Onomea]

I have never heard of using a dash mount and a nav app with your smart phone as something illegal to do...

I do think it is illegal in most places in the US to talk on your phone while holding it to your ear. On speaker phone, or connected through your car’s audio system, it is legal, insofar as I know. Or, if using earphones/head set, etc.

Just don’t hold it in one hand to your ear while driving. And don’t text while driving.

That’s my understanding anyway.

 

[LVSteve]

I can tell you that operating a handheld device in Nevada is a no-no. Otherwise, distracted driving is largely at the judgment of the officer.

 

[Fishinfool]

Bring the dash mount. Millions of GPS's with the windshield suction cup mount are in use in this country, as well as who knows how many phones. Now that I use my smart phone as a GPS while driving, I just place it in the dash cup holder.

Some states may consider anything blocking the windshield a violation, so best to check the web sites of the states you will be traveling thru. Some states cite things such as fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror, but specifically exempt GPS / navigation units.

Larry

 

[Marine Corps Air]

I am going with the recommendation of Fishinfool.

We just returned from a visit to Austin TX and the driver is prohibited from having a cell phone in his/her hand. We did take our GPS which is mounted on the dash. Georgia just passed a new law that closely follows Austin, TX and the "sea lawyers" are recommending a dash mount for the driver. The goal is that talking or texting while driving is verboten!

I will not swear to it, but I believe that some are arguing that talking on the phone with your phone connected to the car's blue tooth system may be permissible.

In May we attended a reunion at MCDEC Quantico, VA The local residents warned us that anything at all in the dash area, that obscured the driver's vision, was prohibited and the driver would receive a ticket. Perhaps a Virginia resident will correct me if the locals were wrong.

Bill

This hyperlink may be helpful: Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws

 

[Bkreutz]

You will find that what's illegal according to the law, and what people are ticketed for are worlds apart in real world practice. Americans tend to ignore the laws (what there are of them). Using handheld devices are illegal in WA state (and has been for a while) but I look around in traffic and everyone has a phone in their hand (including the police). Looking at accident reports, 20% of the drivers don't have insurance and/or valid licenses, why would they worry about using a cell phone. (not counting the multiple drunk driving convictions). I want to buy an armored (armoured for you) car to drive around in. Just use the dash mount and keep your head on a swivel.

 

[GKC]

We just returned from a visit to Austin TX and the driver is prohibited from having a cell phone in his/her hand.

At this time, that isn't completely accurate on a state wide level. In Texas, unless otherwise prohibited by a local ordinance, which may be the case for Austin, you can TALK on a cell phone held to your ear EXCEPT in a school zone (that is illegal state wide.) You cannot text, use the internet, or otherwise be looking at your phone. This is probably going to change, as the problem with cell phones continues. Far better to be safe than sorry, from either or both a ticket and wreck perspective, and use Bluetooth or the speaker, with the phone on the console.

When I need to use the Maps feature for directions, I just put the phone on speaker mode, leave the phone on the console, and listen to the directions. If there is a problem, or I need to change something, I pull over and stop. I have answered my phone when I didn't have my Bluetooth headset with me, but I do not text or use the internet, etc, unless I'm stopped.

 

[Rpg]

When I was in high school in the 1960’s, Denver had a traffic cop named Buster Snyder.

Buster was the city’s secret weapon against teenagers cruising downtown, Sloan’s Lake and other areas. Buster holds the record for number of tickets written in a shift: somewhere north of 135, if I remember correctly.

Buster’s tickets were rinky-dink, often for obstructed vision (everything from fuzzy dice to inspection stickers in the corner of the windshield) but recipients had to show up in court with a parent.

Buster single handedly stopped teen age cruising in Denver for years.

(Buster’s career was quite colorful, including its end in prison: but that’s another story).

The law about obstructed vision hasn’t changed.

Anything that is interposed between the windshield and driver qualifies.

Since Buster’s day, this charge isn’t used as often but it’s at the officer’s discretion.

For a non resident it’s a problem since you have to come to court (usually 3 to 5 weeks later) or hire an attorney to appear for you.

Be sure your mounting system keeps the entire cell phone below the windshield.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I use a mount that clips into the center dash vent. It hold smart phones and GPS Units! It ends up being below the bottom of the windshield (windscreen) and has no obstruction. The cord to the electric port (cigarette lighter) is a pain, but you don't want a dead phone battery when your trying to not be lost! Funny as it seems "Band-Aids" are great for temporary wire restraining!

Ivan

 

[Westie1]

Out here in Cali, just having it in your hand can get you an invite to visit with a judge. Applies even if you're at a stop light or stop sign. Only exception allowed is if you're calling 911.

 

[kwselke]

My brother and his wife have new Toyotas with Bluetooth connections to their I-Phones. There is a display on the dashboard that is used for the back-up cameras, blind spot radar, and radio functions. The display also serves as the Bluetooth connection for their I-Phones. It's an information center with a display that is probably 8" X 8". I've been a passenger with my brother when his I-Phone was feeding maps and current location to his minivan display. It was not doing voice prompts, they were not needed, but I bet the system is that capable. Bring your phone, your dash mount, but do not become dependent or distracted. Have a good idea of where you are going before you start for the day. If you become disoriented, pull over and use the technology to figure things out.

Make sure your phone will work here and will not cost a ridiculous amount of money to operate on a foreign to you system.

The important thing is to have fun and be safe.

 

[TX-Dennis]

You should be okay with the dash mount everywhere. Some states outlaw hand held device use, but I don't know of any that outlaw mounted device use.

As kswelke mentioned, cellular data outside one's home country is often quite expensive. One option is to buy a sim card for a US carrier while you're here and to sign up for a prepaid plan. I'd recommend Cricket which works on AT&Ts network. No contract, so you could just pay for a month and be good to go as long as you are here.

Be aware, though, that there are many areas in the western US where there is no cell coverage from any carrier. It's not cost effective for them to set up towers in vast sparsely populated areas. You'll have coverage in cities and along Interstates, but some other places you won't. Your best bet is to download maps for the areas you'll be traveling through ahead of time, perhaps using your hotel's wifi the night before to avoid data charges. Then you don't need data to navigate the next day. Rather than go into detail on how to do that, I will just point you to Google.

 

[4506517]

I have never, not once ever, stopped much less ticketed someone for using a cell phone/GPS device.

In my state texting while driving is illegal, but I do not know of anyone that has written a citation for it, nor have I ever seen anyone in court for it.

I can certainly appreciate your intention to stay well within the confines of the law. However, I think you will be okay with what you have.

 

[Kiwi cop]

Breathing again.

Thanks guys. The mount is a stick on one so I should be able to find a place for it below the windscreen.

For cell roaming I’m okay. My provider has a plan whereby I get 200 minutes voice calls, 200 texts and 500 mb data for NZ $20 a week billed to my normal phone account. I’ll preload 6 weeks on that and use motel/restaurant wifi constantly.

I’m not too worried about data usage on maps. I have had this discussion before but maps does not appear to use use cellular data. It works of the worldwide GPS system. I get full maps coverage where I have no cell coverage at all for an hours driving in any direction.

But it will upset my wife a bit. She has her favourite radio stations she likes to listen too and would like to be able to stream them constantly while we are driving to keep up with things at home. I can use the “no cell service” argument to play my saved music though

 

[muddocktor]

Heh, I just gave myself a good laugh when reading your thread title, Kiwi cop. When I glanced at it, I read "Lethality of using phone maps instead of GPS"

 

[Kiwi cop]

Heh, I just gave myself a good laugh when reading your thread title, Kiwi cop. When I glanced at it, I read "Lethality of using phone maps instead of GPS"

Well with the GPS horror stories out there, incorrect maps, being sent down non existent roads, the recent trucker who was sent by his GPS unit down an unsuitable forestry road that meant he had to walk two days after his truck got stuck to reach civilisation etc, maybe they could be lethal.

Then there are the old google v Apple maps stories too.

 

[Gaffer]

I know lots of people who use GPS even to do local errands. It puzzles me that they need it. Twenty some years ago the wife and I traveled all the summer of 1995 doing +2O some states, 3 provences and Alaska in our conversion van. We had no GPS or cell phone and got along fine. We did use the Alaska Highway book the "Milepost" a lot for finding campsites and stops. We drove all over Alaska that has roads with exception of the north slope as that required a sizeable bond. spent 6-7 weeks in Alaska and then back to the states via a more westerly route through British Columbia. Left Maine in May and got back to Maine in mid September..I did use the maps and Milepost a lot. Don'r recall getting lost or having to double back.

 

[NYlakesider]

Slightly off topic but it does have phones and GPS in it.

Where I live there is no cell service for at least 5 miles in any direction.

Trying to get things delivered or having a contractor come up for a estimate is frustrating some times. My house is hard to find to begin with unless you know the area. You tell people about no cell phone service up here and that precludes calling for help if they get within the 5 mil exclusion zone. You also tell them if they use GPS they must use a stand alone not a cell based service.

They do good till they hit the no zone and then anything is possible. What is it with people that want directions, and you give them good info but are too ignorant to follow directions.

Of course sometimes its the dispatchers, you tell them and their too lazy to write it down and the people out making a run get lost, and by the time they find cell service and call us they are running late. In areas like this you need stand alone GPS.

 

[rwsmith]

I'd just set the coordinates.....

Set the coordinates before you start driving. My son has a holder that keeps it at dash level. If your aren't fooling with any devices while driving you aren't breaking the law.

 

[vytoland]

on the way to breakfast this morning, my wife and i saw someone and its vehicle that were using a hand held device while driving.......they were off the road, upside down and in the ditch......