Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Mobile phone holder

I have started using an app, TomTom Speed Cameras,to keep me alert to changes in speed limits and the risk of fines. In the morgan there is always the issue of where to put the phone where it can be seen and heard. I saw this clip on the internet being offered by a Chinese company that I have purchased from in the past and given the low cost I thought I would give it a try. Ordinary mail usually takes several weeks to arrive from China but I have never had anything not arrive.

I thought it may be of interest to other Trad Morgan owners that use mobile apps for navigation and other purposes.

Mine has not yet arrived but it looks like something that should work ok and fit over the padding above the top of the dash. I will report back again after I have received it.





https://www.tomtop.com/p-k9978.html?mid=...aid=TTEDM190313

Looks good but becareful!
Drivers are being warned that using a mobile phone to navigate in the car could lead to a ban and a £200 fine.
While it’s not illegal to use navigation apps completely, motorists can be prosecuted if they touch the handset while driving.

There are inconsistencies with this ruling - illegal to touch a phone running a navigation app but perfectly legal to touch a dedicated SATNAV (waiting for someone to tell me that's illegal as well )
Last year I was "told off" by a young bloke on a moped for touching the screen of my phone (in a mount) whilst stationary at traffic lights. He claimed to be an off duty policeman but I think he may have just been a busy body

I thought if the phone was mounted you could touch it.

I understand the law that way

the mobile device can be used if the phone is connected to a supportive device or ‘mounted thoughtfully in a vehicle’

As to whether you can touch it when it’s mounted? There is very little info on this but my interpretation is that you can as long as you are in full control and not distracted

All the info states Police can still prosecute if they think that a driver is distracted or not in control of a vehicle even if a hands free set up is used

There is nothing I can see that says it is illegal to operate or actually touch a mobile device if it is properly mounted and you are in control of a vehicle and not distracted

As Steve has said, the law is confused.

The Law was written to stop the use of a mobile phone for any purpose that involved holding and touching it. This was drafted before phones did duty as a Sat Nav or music source.

I understand that it is legal to use a built in touch screen for any purpose, including making a call, and to touch a dedicated sat nav on a mount. But both are not recommended. But not a device that is also capable of making and sending text messages and phone calls.

Peter,
my tin top has a blue tooth phone so the display that is the sat nav is the phone.
The garmin sat nav on the Mog also has a blue tooth phone facility.

So all in all v confusing

Another problem understanding this issue, I'm happy to accept you cannot use your phone while driving as that can take your full attention from the road ahead.

Therefore, can anyone advise how a police officer one up in a police car answer their police radio while driving without them giving up their full attention to the road ahead.

Would you believe that they have this provision in the law

‘It is an offence for a person to drive or supervise the driving by a provisional licence holder or cause or permit to be driven a motor vehicle on a road if the driver is using a hand-held mobile telephone, or a hand-held device (OTHER THAN A TWO-WAY RADIO) which performs an interactive communication function by transmitting and receiving data’

Now I agree with the law but that provision Just makes it stupid in my opinion

I’ve also just tried to clarify the law on actually touching a mobile phone when mounted and it basically isn’t stipulated in the law so I’ve had to find an official police interpretation and I’ve found this

‘Pushing buttons/touching a phone while it’s mounted in a cradle or mounted on the steering wheel or handlebars of a motorbike for example is not covered by the offence (previously partially quoted in my last post above)

Provided you don’t hold the phone it is, in our (the police’s)opinion, if the device can allow for hands free calls, it would be legal but inadvisable to use whilst driving, however it would ultimately be up to a court to decide