Don't know what your local laws are, but around here, if the constabulary should see a vehicle with video running that the driver can see, they will give serious tickets and a requirement to remove the device from the vehicle.

 

Not a lawyer, (and just throwing in my two cents) but I guess it would be easy to argue that the officer wasn't able to determine if the console based video system was in use while the vehicle was moving.
"I'm sorry officer, but when you were walking to the car, I got nervous, so I decided to turn on the movie to calm my nerves. Of course, you know I would never watch a movie while the car was in motion."
Tough to prove otherwise.

 

bofh - i guess i cant use my backup camera, as it displays video movement when i am going in reverse...or while moving forward, any of the nav screens, or even the nav/gps display itself as it also displays movement....enough already.... case closed.

 

Maybe you should change your screen name to Snotty

 

Ah yes the reasoned argument, lets lower ourselves to name calling that always proves our point.

 

touché

 

My comment stands. That is the law here, your area may be different. Lots of people break laws every day, that is a choice they make. Sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they get a ticket and sometimes they create an accident, but it is by their choice to do so.

By video I was refering to movies etc. Your backup camera is a direct view of where you are going and I would hope you are not doing it at 30-80mph!. Also, I don't think you drive via your GPS, but rather that you would glance down and then eyes back to the road.

 

Posting as a moderator:Bob Wilson

 

I'm pretty sure that playing a DVD on a screen that the driver can see is illegal in all 50 states, and also in Canada and Mexico, and Europe. But that's not really what matters. People break traffic laws every day, and mostly don't get tickets.

The real important thing is that playing a DVD or TV on a screen that the driver can see, while the car is in motion, is a profoundly bad idea. When the driver is looking at the screen, he/she is not looking out the front window. People glance at other displays on the dashboard, but most people watch DVD/TV shows that are designed for entertainment. While watching a show, we don't watch and certainly don't pay much attention to other things. Safe driving requires paying attention to whatever is outside the window, and only glancing at things inside the car. Watching a video while driving is almost certain to cause a crash.

They make video screens that fit the headrests, so they can be seen only from the back seat. If you really want to provide video for the kids, that is the way to go.

 

Personally I draw the line where someone chooses to behave in a way that potentially endangers ME. The OP chooses to modify his car in a way that could provide a major distraction, is illegal in most jusridictions, and could realistically endanger ME when he rear ends my car with me and my loved ones because he was preoccupied with the DVD or NAV controls.
I think it's poor practice to brag about illegally modifying any automobile where safety to others is then so obviously involved.

Sorry the argument "I won't watch the DVD or I won't twiddle with the NAV controls" doesn't cut it.