Also, Government legislation dictates that poorly positioned cameras could be deemed as ‘dangerous’ under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Chapter 52 states that when assessing dangerous driving “regard may be had to anything attached to or carried on or in [the vehicle] and to the manner in which it is attached or carried”. By making sure that your camera is mounted in accordance with the Ministry of Transport guidelines above, you can ensure that the drivers view in not impeded. Consideration must also be given to the appropriate positioning of dash cams which feature LCD screens as the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 states that “no person shall drive, or cause or permit to be driven, a motor vehicle on a road, if the driver is in such a position as to be able to see, whether directly or by reflection, a television receiving apparatus or other cinematographic apparatus used to display anything other than information a) about the state of the vehicle or its equipment, b) about the location of the vehicle and the road on which it is located, c) to assist the driver to see the road adjacent to the vehicle or d) to assist the driver to reach his destination”. However, most car cameras with screens offer the option to turn them off or fold them away, as with the SmartCam 2 HD. In summary, car cameras are designed to be installed in a prominent position in your vehicle in order to capture a clear view of the road ahead. However, consideration must be given to where they are positioned so as not to obscure the driver’s view in such a way as to be deemed as dangerous by the legislation outlined above. This consideration is equally important for all window-mounted devices such as Sat Nav units. Most car cameras are ideally mounted behind the rear-view mirror, to the passenger’s side of the vehicle. This places them in an elevated position with a clear view of the road ahead while not being visible to the driver and therefore not interrupting their view.