Legalities towards mounting gauges in Vic

[RicKii``]

hey guys,
im looking thru the Vicroads website to see the legalities of gauge mounting and then did a google search for specifics towards dash/pillar/cluster mounted gauges. Turns out its quite bland on the Vicroads site and a whole bunch of hear say on other sites/forums.
What i want to do is mount the gauges in a very similar style to how the new commodores/falcons have it. Above the centre console, in the middle. I read that anything on the soft dash is considered illegal. Anything above the highest point of the cluster is illegal. Thats because its obstructing the drivers view.
I have worked on a gauge pod that is below this line of sight but then im quite intrigued to see in writing somewhere on the legalities of anything mounted on the soft dash is illegal. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[4piknup]

Wa has something like:
Get a 6" (not sure if that size is accurate) ball and roll it over the existing dash and structure. If it contacts your gauges it is no good.

 

[RicKii``]

so ive been emailing back and forth with Vicroads, in which he pointed this out to me

8.3.2.1. The primary vision area shall include the area of the windscreen between a plane tangential to the top of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’, inclined 10 degrees above the horizontal measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, to a plane tangential to the bottom of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’, which includes a horizontal line at ground level transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and 11 m from the rearmost eye position on the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’, measured horizontally and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and between a vertical plane tangential to the outboard of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ and inclined 15 degrees to the right, to a vertical plane tangential to the inboard of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ and inclined 56 degrees to the left.

now for the life of me, i have nfi on what that means but we came to the conclusion that this is better for anyones reference here in VIC:

9.2 The gauges or covers must not prevent the driver from having a clear uninterrupted view through the full width of the windscreen of all parts of the road surface 11 metres forward of the steering wheel viewed from any driving position permitted by the range of adjustment of the driver's seat.

Mind you, it came under the external gauges section but it still applies according to the Vicroads personnel. There was no such thing pointed out that it must be under the line of the dash cluster or the dash or the steering wheel. Just the vehicle must have an adequate view to be able to be operated satisfactory in a safe manner. That line makes it a very grey area but the 11 metres point in 9.2 above clears it up a bit. So it seems like I shall be modding some gauges in later today!

 

[4piknup]

Surely you cant put them where it is possible to hit them with your head if in a accident

 

[RicKii``]

yes that too Jack of all, infront of either driver or passenger is not allowed, a-pillars is illegal aswell. anything on the steering wheel isnt an option. but the centre part between driver and passenger above the centre console is free reign within the 11metre perimeters