Chat & Social > The Bar - General Chat

HUDs

(1/5) > >>

Evilgoat:
AKA Heads Up Displays.

Anyon know the legal status. My understanding is they are illegal but there are at least 3 cars out there now that use them. Not a hard thing to make and I'm curious to know if I'll get into trouble for using one.

Terminus:
That depends on what exactly you are defining as a head up display.

Gimme you're definition of a head up display and I'll probably be able to provide an answer in a short space of time.

If you''re talking about a display that (as with fighter jets etc) is transparent in front of the driver in their direct field of vision then the answer is yep it's illegal.

By law there is to be nothing directly in the field of vision of the driver that impairs in any way his or her view of the road ahead - this includes small stone chips in glass hence your car would fail MOT if there were a stone chip in a section of the window directly in front of the driver.

Terminus:
I should add that if this is the case - road traffic cops will get you into trouble for this - depending on how switched on the average patrol cop is depends on what they do - some know traffic very well some do not - my personal opinion - if it is as described above I wouldn't chance it - traffic cops are generally fair but very rigid when it comes to such things and you may find yourself in a touch of bother.

Evilgoat:
48x48 or 1" by 1" dotmatrix back projected so its in the centre of the screen just above the bottom, the area the wipers dont normally touch.

Terminus:
The problem with any light projection on a windscreen is it can be classed as a distraction to a) the driver and b) if visible from the outside other drivers (this is why glowing led xmas trees started to get people in trouble in the festive season)

There are grey areas in the law regarding such things (including the blue led's the local boy racers have on the front of their cars) however a good traffic cop will mosty likely find in the realms of legislation that is the Road Traffic Act 1988 and subsequent ammendments a clause that although will not specify no HUD's or no blue led's for example - will indicate that it is a distraction to the driver and as such poses a danger.

I would say that if you want a display keep it to the dashboard - generally in the eyes of the law anything on the windscreen of a motor vehicle that has the potential to distract the driver is not allowed.

Hope that helps

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page