I'm lucky enough that my current car has a built-in dashboard infotainment screen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.So all I have to do is plug a cable into my phone, and leave it down in the change bowl, or even secure inside the armrest storage, which has enough of a gap in the lid for a USB cable without pinching it.But if you aren't driving a car with a built-in solution for using your phone's navigation or music apps, then you'll need some sort of mounting solution.
When I was still driving my old 2009 Toyota Yaris, I favored an air vent mount, which also helped keep my phone cool.Which is good, because it would overheat when using the GPS constantly! However, the problem is your car's phone mount could be sitting in an airbag's deployment path.It might seem like the perfect place to install a phone mount Don't assume any open space is safe I obviously don't mean the airbag in your steering wheel.
Unless you've decided to mount your phone there for some reason.No, the issue is entirely the airbag on the front passenger side.When you look at the dashboard on the passenger side, it might seem like the perfect place to install a phone mount.
It's not blocking any vents, or your view of instrumentation, or the road.It seems like it shouldn't interfere with the operation of your car at all.The problem is that you can't eyeball where the airbag is on the passenger dashboard.
There may be a label somewhere that says "Airbag" or "SRS Airbag", but that's just an indication that a passenger-side airbag exists.You can't actually know how it deploys, how the dash comes apart, and how the airbag does its job.So, if your phone is mounted in the wrong spot, in the case of a collision where the airbag deploys, it can turn the phone and its mount into high-speed projectiles.
With the potential for serious injury.Modern carmakers are very good at hiding things like airbags and dashboard panel lines, so it's best not just to assume a given spot is safe to mount your phone.Related Why a simple USB cable is still better than wireless Android Auto Wireless mode is convenient, but plugging in your phone might still be worth the hassle.
Posts 63 By Arol Wright Not every phone mount is equally risky Choose carefully Close Clearly, if you use a mount that's not in the path of the airbag, then there's no issue.At least not when it comes to the airbag problem specifically.A vent-mount should be clear, but obviously has its own issues.
They aren't always as secure as they should be, and they block airflow.So, if your car doesn't have enough additional vents, that could impact your comfort.Windshield mounts are actually a good choice from the perspective that the phone can be mounted clear of any airbag deployment path.
It's also a good way to have the phone at eye-level, and makes it easier to keep an eye on the road, rather than glancing away to look at your GPS or a message notification.The tricky part here is that the mount type isn't more or less dangerous by itself, and it's not just about where the phone is, but also where the base of the mount is.Your owner's manual actually tells you where not to put things RTFM is not a four-letter word I'm one of those weirdos that reads the manual for the new thing I bought.
I know, maybe some "real" geeks might frown on that, but I actually find manuals interesting, and it's also how you can "discover" all the cool things your car can do, instead of accidentally figuring them out years later.Check your manual for sections covering airbags, supplemental restraint systems (SRS), or dashboard-mounted accessories.There may also be information about the passenger-side airbag in the section about baby seats.
That's because the car's passenger-side airbag often has to be turned OFF when you use a baby seat in the front passenger seat.For obvious reasons! You might also be able to find crash test footage on sites like YouTube where you can see how the airbag deploys.Just keep in mind that different trim levels of the same car model can have varying numbers of airbags in different places.
Where should you put your phone instead? The only real answer here is that the base of your phone mount should be on parts of your dash you're certain are not part of the airbag deployment area.There's probably no airbag coming through the air vents, but for any flat part of the dash, you'll need to do your research.Personally, I'm a fan of windshield mounts, since you can mount them in a way that doesn't obstruct your view at all, but this also depends on the car you're driving.
Cupholder mounts are another good option, again depending on where your cupholders are.If you have ones that can deploy from a convenient spot, it could work out great.There's also such a thing as a CD-slot phone mount, but if you're driving something old enough to have a CD player, you may have more safety issues to worry about than phone mount locations.
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