Do you have a fitted a dash cam in your vehicle? If so is it positioned legally?

Clearly your fitted dash cam should not obstruct your field of vision while you are driving.

Department for Transport (DfT) guidance states that ‘Drivers must ensure they have a clear view of the road and traffic ahead at all times. This includes placing smartphones, dash cams or other items in an appropriate position, so they do not restrict the driver’s vision.’

So, if your dash cam has been fitted in an unsafe/dangerous position then you could be fined for driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous condition (by imposition of a fixed penalty fine and 3 points endorsed on your licence)

It would be hoped, however, that in the first instance, the police would choose to advise you where your dash cam should be properly re-positioned.

Similarly, it is worth noting that if the police stop you for driving with a cracked windscreen, then again a fixed penalty notice can be issued for driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous condition. In the alternative, the police may issue you with a Vehicle Defect Rectification Notice which allows you 14 days to fix your cracked windscreen, and then to prove you have completed this repair.

Regulation 30 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations requires that:

1. Every motor vehicle shall be so designed and constructed that the driver thereof while controlling the vehicle can at all times have a full view of the road and traffic ahead of the motor vehicle.

Further guidance from the DfT states that dash cams cannot be placed any more than 40mm (4cm) into the swept area of the windscreen wipers (and no more than 10mm of intrusion into Zone A.)

What is Zone A?

This zone is the section of the windscreen being 290mm wide (across the windscreen) taken from the centre point of the steering wheel - in other words, the area directly in the driver's line of vision.

Zone B, is the outer peripheries of zone A, (often shown as two distinct sections either side of the steering wheel position)

Zone C is most of the windscreen directly in front of the passenger seat. (obviously this zone is still important in terms of the driver's line of sight.)

Zones A; B and C taken together cover all of the area which the windscreen wipers wipe, (or should wipe!). This area being the swept area of the screen.

Clearly, there is no point in having a dash cam if it isn’t fitted in the best position on the windscreen, where it can capture the full perspective of the road ahead. So do give proper thought to the positioning of your dash cam and ensure when fitting that it does not obstruct the field of view of the driver by more than 4cm in the swept area of the windscreen and by no more than 10mm of intrusion into Zone A.

… And also remember that in the event that your vehicle dash cam doesn’t comply with these restrictions then your vehicle will fail its MOT.

For free initial legal advice upon any motoring matter contact our motoring team on 01606 59 21 59.