Right-Hand-Drive Car Phone Mount: Best Positions

Right-hand-drive cars flip more than the steering wheel. The gear lever, the infotainment screen and the natural sweep of your eyes all sit differently than in the left-hand-drive cars most phone-mount guides are written for. If you drive in the UK, Ireland or Australia, "just clip it to the left vent" is often the worst advice you can follow. Here is how to pick a mount position that is comfortable, safe and on the right side of the law.

Why RHD changes the equation

In a right-hand-drive car you sit on the right, so a phone mounted on the far left of the dashboard is noticeably further from your line of sight than it would be for a left-hand-drive driver. The ideal spot is the mirror image of the usual advice: close to the driver's side (the right), low enough not to block the windscreen, and near enough that glancing at navigation takes your eyes off the road for as little time as possible. Many RHD cabins also place the USB port and 12V socket on the left of the centre console, so cable reach is worth checking before you commit to a position.

What the law says in the UK, Ireland and Australia

None of these countries bans phone mounts — what they regulate is holding the phone and blocking your view.

In the UK, it is illegal to hold and use a phone while driving; get caught and you face 6 penalty points and a £200 fixed penalty. Placement matters too: Department for Transport windscreen-zone guidance allows obstructions to encroach only about 10mm into the swept area directly in front of the driver (Zone A) and 40mm elsewhere (Zone B), which makes most windscreen suction positions hard to justify. A dashboard or vent mount that sits below the glass avoids the issue entirely.

In Ireland, holding a mobile phone while driving is an offence, but using a securely cradled phone hands-free — for navigation or taking a call — is permitted, provided you stay in full control of the vehicle.

In Australia, the rules are state-based but broadly consistent: full licence holders may use a phone for calls, navigation and audio only if it sits in a mount that is commercially designed and manufactured for the purpose and does not obscure the driver's view. Learner and provisional drivers generally cannot use a phone at all, mounted or not. If you hold an L or P licence, keep the phone in your bag.

Vent, dash or windscreen: what works in an RHD cabin

The driver-side air vent — the one to the right of the steering wheel in an RHD car — is usually the best starting point. It keeps the phone inside your natural glance line, well below the windscreen, and a magnetic mount like the HexaCharge Complete Kit attaches there without adhesives or clamps. One caveat: some RHD cars have narrow or angled vent slats on the driver's side, so test the grip before a long motorway run.

If your driver-side vent will not cooperate, a dash mount is the next best option. A telescopic arm such as the HexaDash lets you position the phone just left of the instrument cluster and pull it towards you, so the screen sits close without touching the glass or hiding the road. This is also the safer choice in hot climates like Australia's, where a vent position can put the phone directly in the path of air-conditioning one minute and radiant dash heat the next.

Windscreen suction mounts are the position to be most careful with. In the UK especially, the swept-area guidance above means a phone stuck mid-windscreen can attract attention at an MOT or roadside stop. Remember that in a right-hand-drive car, the most tightly restricted zone of glass sits directly in front of you, the driver — so if you prefer that height, the safer route is a dash mount that raises the phone to a similar eye line without touching the windscreen at all.

A quick self-test before you drive

Sit in the driver's seat, mount the phone, and check three things: can you see the full road ahead and your left mirror without moving your head; can you read the navigation with a glance rather than a stare; and does the phone stay put when you press its screen with one finger? If any answer is no, move the mount — usually rightwards and lower.

Not sure whether wireless CarPlay will work in your car in the first place? Run your model through our compatibility checker, or see our guides to adapter compatibility and Vauxhall and Opel models. Everything at Malinto ships with free worldwide shipping, duties paid — whether you are in Manchester, Dublin or Melbourne.