Can placing decorative elements in such a way limit visibility of the road and distract the driver’s attention?

In the photo there is the inside of a car: a scarf and ornaments are hanging from the interior mirror, and there is an air freshener on the windscreen. Decorations placed like this limit your view of the road and distract the driver. The answer is: yes.

The Road Traffic Act requires every road user to avoid actions that could endanger safety, and it also requires a vehicle to be built, equipped and maintained so that it gives the driver a sufficient field of view - objects hanging in the field of view break this requirement. Scarves, ornaments and mascots hanging from the mirror cover part of the windscreen on the right-hand side - exactly where a pedestrian stepping onto a crossing or a car from the right at a junction appears - and when they swing on bends and bumpy roads, they draw your eye. A few seconds of looking at a swinging decoration at 50 km/h means several dozen metres of driving blind. Drivers often do not notice this effect, because they get used to the decorations. The interior mirror is there to show the road behind you, not to be used as a hanger; it is worth checking its adjustment before every drive.

Legal basis: Art. 3 para. 1 and Art. 66 para. 1 point 5 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)