SACRAMENTO, CA --- A new California state bill seeks to add aftermarket GPS devices to the list of permitted windshield obstructions.

The bill specifies that such devices, if secured to the windshield, would need to be mounted "in the 7-inch square in the lower corner farthest removed from the driver or in the 5-inch square in the lower corner nearest the driver."

Currently, California and Minnesota are the only two states where a driver can be fined for mounting a GPS navigation device on the windshield of his or her car, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. In California, state law prohibits mounting anything on the windshield that can block a driver's view, with a few very specific exceptions like rearview mirrors, toll-payment transponders and stickers such as parking passes or oil-change reminders.

The bill specifies that a windshield-mounted GPS can only be used to provide directions.

Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) authored the bill. It has drawn support from the California Motor Car Dealers Association.

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