It is well known that mobile phones need to be “secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle” in Australia, but does a mobile phone secured in a mount affixed to the steering wheel, a “phone steering wheel mount”, meet this requirement?
I emailed the Western Australia Road Safety Commission to clarify, and whilst it may meet the secured in a mount requirement it produces a number of additional problems.
The response is below.
Please be advised that, while it may meet the definition of a mounting for the purpose of the mobile phone regulations, there are a number of issues which are of concern. These include:
- It may interfere with the deployment of the air bag;
- It may become a projectile when struck by the airbag;
- It obscures the instruments, notably the speedometer, or (if installed the other way up) the road ahead;
- As it occupies such a large proportion of the steering wheel’s circumference it is our view that it does compromise proper control.
On this basis, I believe it would contravene vehicle standards regulations most notably Reg. 235(5) of the Road Traffic (Vehicles) Regulations 2014 which covers changes or alterations to the body or equipment of a vehicle in a way that adversely affects the safe operation of the vehicle.
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