The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a waiver requested by Traditional Trucking Corporation earlier this year to allow drivers and carriers to mount a GPS on the windshield within the areas allowed for “vehicle safety technology” devices.
The five-year waiver is effective immediately and applies to any motor carrier mounting a GPS on the windshield. The waiver allows the mounting of GPS devices no more than four inches below the upper edge of the area swept by windshield wipers and no more than 7 inches above the lower edge swept by windshield wipers would not obstruct the drivers’ view of the road.
Regulations prohibit the obstruction of the driver’s field of view by devices mounted on the interior of the windshield, with the exception of vehicle safety technologies. Traditional Trucking Association argued “the exemption is necessary because the dash is not suitable for mounting the fixture to hold the GPS unit, and the location of the GPS unit (if mounted on the top of the dash) is in the same location as currently allowed for ‘‘vehicle safety technologies’’ mounted on the windshield. The GPS fixture cannot be mounted to the ‘‘face’’ of the control panel as that area is covered with controls and displays necessary for the operation of the commercial vehicle.”
FMCSA is encouraging drivers using GPS devices under this waiver to program the device before driving and enable the voice command on the device.