Casbar wrote:
Why is it illegal to touch the screen then? When riding bikes without wonder wheels, you can zoom in and out using the screen on the sat nav. So what is the difference with pushing answer or decline for a phone call. When you have a mobile in a holder or hands free you could use it, as long as you don't hold it.
It's not that clear cut. Technically legislation refers to 'hands free' use, not hand-holding so anything you do that requires you to take your hands off the steering wheel / bars is arguably not 'hands free'. Of course if you take that too far then adjusting the volume on the car stereo is an offence - but then that's why increasingly cars are now fitted with audio controls on the steering wheel and why the RT has the wonderwheel so you can do most things without releasing the bars.
The 'litmus test' that most forces seem to be using is whether or not you are being distracted by the action you are carrying out. That is going to focus more on where your eyes are rather than your hands. Add to that the fact that on the GS you have to lean forward and reach across the bars to reach the screen on the Nav 5 (it's pretty much the same on the RT) then I would not like to have to make an argument in court that I wasn't distracted and that I was paying due care and attention to my riding if I was fiddling with the Sat Nav. There is a reason why all our Garmin devices start up by warning us that we should not be using them while the vehicle to which they are attached is moving.
I realise that the "I can do anything I want because I'm a safe driver and nothing will ever happen while I am in control of a vehicle" crowd will be queuing up to refute this. Knock yourself out. Nothing you say is going to change either my opinion or that of a copper who spots you doing it. If you are happy that you can predict his assessment going in your favour then it's your licence so you are perfectly entitled to ride however you want.
