Avis GPS - no mounting bracket

[MDC]

I rented a car through Avis for the first time in many years so I'm not sure if this is strange - Hertz certainly don't do this. What I found strange was that they don't provide the suction cup mounting bracket for their GPS units. I don't know whether this is just a Brisbane thing though.

Unfortunately nothing was mentioned when I picked up the car and GPS and only discovered this when I went to use the GPS the next day.

I questioned the staff when I returned the car, as it's nearly impossible to use the GPS without the mounting bracket and they stated that they no longer provide the bracket as it's illegal to mount the GPS on your windscreen.

Has anyone else heard of this? According to Qld Police the use of a GPS device is legal but it must not obstruct a drivers view.

Has anyone else experienced Avis removing the brackets or has anyone had any experience with the laws around the windscreen mounts?

 

[tboyle]

I had a somewhat similar experience with Avis at Brisbane Airport in May 2009. I had booked a GPS, and when I went to set it up the mounting bracket was missing. Luckily I hadn't left the airport - I went back to Avis and asked and received one no questions asked. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it's a bit of a coincidence.

 

[OzGrant]

The Avis staff person must have came from California or Minnesota in the USA where it was illegal to have anything attached to the windscreen.

The Law got changed in California in 2008 and you are now allowed to attach a gps again to the windscreen.

 

[trublutas]

I rented a car through Avis for the first time in many years so I'm not sure if this is strange - Hertz certainly don't do this. What I found strange was that they don't provide the suction cup mounting bracket for their GPS units. I don't know whether this is just a Brisbane thing though.

Unfortunately nothing was mentioned when I picked up the car and GPS and only discovered this when I went to use the GPS the next day.

I questioned the staff when I returned the car, as it's nearly impossible to use the GPS without the mounting bracket and they stated that they no longer provide the bracket as it's illegal to mount the GPS on your windscreen.

Has anyone else heard of this? According to Qld Police the use of a GPS device is legal but it must not obstruct a drivers view.

Has anyone else experienced Avis removing the brackets or has anyone had any experience with the laws around the windscreen mounts?

Had the same problem last time Irented through Avis at Brisbane airport, crock of @#^t the excuse that it's illegal to mount it, as you said provided it in now restricts your vision it can be mounted on the dash, windscreen or wherever, with out it it a complete pain in cough, and the unit I got wouldn't even charge because the fuse for the cigarette lighter plug had been removed to discourage smokers, duh! boy was I pissed when halfway to an obscure address on the mid central Sunshine coast the GPS decided to stop working because the f###king battery has gone flat, and when I returned the vehicle I was given the run around about not wanting to pay for equipment that didn't work. Hertz for me in Brisbane from now on.

 

[Mal]

I had a quick look for the legislation that prevents the use of a GPS mount on the windscreen (whether it interferes with visibility or not), but couldn't find it in my quick searching. Will try again later as it is one of those laws that is important to know for future reference.

One of the questions I have is why people pay the $XX / day for a GPS with Avis et.al . Surely 5 or 6 rentals per year in Australia (esp after airport surcharges are included) would pay for the cost of a GPS unit yourself - with mount that you can use. It's not like they are huge bulky items.

Otherwise, I assume Avis uses a certain style of GPS. The mounts should be on Ebay relatively cheaply.

 

[markis10]

I had a quick look for the legislation that prevents the use of a GPS mount on the windscreen (whether it interferes with visibility or not), but couldn't find it in my quick searching. Will try again later as it is one of those laws that is important to know for future reference.

One of the questions I have is why people pay the $XX / day for a GPS with Avis et.al . Surely 5 or 6 rentals per year in Australia (esp after airport surcharges are included) would pay for the cost of a GPS unit yourself - with mount that you can use. It's not like they are huge bulky items.

Otherwise, I assume Avis uses a certain style of GPS. The mounts should be on Ebay relatively cheaply.

Mal - there is no rule that states specifically that a GPS is illegal, simply that you cannot have something that obscures vision mounted on the windscreen:

Road Rule 297 (2) states: “A driver must not drive a motor vehicle unless the driver has a clear view of the road, and traffic, ahead, behind and to the side of the driver.”


Ironically one could argue that most cars already have such obscured vision thanks to the window mounted rear vision mirror :shock:.

Also ironic is the change in Victorian & Tasmanian Laws that took place this year making it a legal requirement to mount the GPS:

visual display units (including driver aids such as GPS)

A driver must not drive a motor vehicle with a visual display unit operating if any part of the screen is visible to the driver or likely to distract another driver, unless it is a driver’s aid.
A visual display unit that is considered to be a driver’s aid (such as a GPS or rear view screen) must be an integrated part of the vehicle design, or secured in a commercially designed holder, that is fixed to the vehicle (such as the suction cup type that come with most GPS). Other visual display units that are considered to be a driver's aid includes dispatch systems, rear view screens and ticket-issuing machines. This rule for securing the device does not apply to motorcycles.


http://dierp.dot.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/47121/Road_Rules_-_Mobile_Phones.pdf

In fact it appears that the change was motivated by the Australian Road Rules, so in fact its illegal to use a GPS unless its mounted with its factory mount, Page 280:

http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/ARR_February_2009_final.pdf

Someone needs to bring this to the attention of Avis, by not supplying the correct bracket they are in fact asking their customers to break the law if they use the GPS, and if they dont use it why supply it !