Use your brain when using SatNav
November 11, 2009 by Karl Peskett
It seems obvious – or at least it should seem obvious. When using your satellite navigation, keep your mind switched firmly to the “on” position. However a recent survey by UK website motoring.co.uk shows that people are taking what the SatNav voice is telling them as gospel.
According to the research, 20 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men have “blindly followed a satnav into the middle of a field, and Network Rail has experienced damage to railway bridges and level crossing collisions as a result of drivers’ failure to use their initiative.”
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK, was prompted to speak up about the survey, adding that incidents involving trucks would be much more serious if road trains were allowed to be introduced to English roads.
Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner, said: “Satnavs can be a real aid to road safety, providing the driver already has an idea of the route. Your satnav aids your own navigational abilities. It should not replace them. Have a map as a fall back and remember satnavs are no more infallible than the person who uses them, so do have some idea of your route before you set out.”
“Drivers using satnavs for the first time should be prepared to familiarise themselves with it before setting off on a journey.” Mr Rodger added.
Recommendations from the IAM include the following:
- Always programme your satnav before you set off, not while you are driving.
- Use the audible instruction to guide you and only use the screen for a quick glance as a confirmation.
- Certain routes may be closed for whatever reason, and sometimes the data on the satnav itself is old – with a map you can find routes around problems more easily. Pull over and look at your map at the first safe opportunity if you get confused.
- Drivers should also think about the position of the unit – the satnav unit shouldn’t obstruct your vision or be put where an airbag could be deployed.
- Weight and height restrictions apply to some routes which is worth bearing in mind if you are driving a hired vehicle that is larger than one you are used to.
- Remove the unit before leaving the vehicle and make sure that all visible satnav mounting marks are removed from the windscreen before you leave the car – they encourage thieves. Also don’t programme in your ‘home’ details – thieves have been known to use these to commit further offences after stealing the satnav unit.
- Although there is currently no legislation for the correct use of satellite navigation equipment, the police have a number of offences they can apply if they believe the driver to have been ‘driving without due care’ or ‘failing to have proper control’.
Most modern satnavs also include a recalculate function, so you can drive around road works and take detours.
But do you think we are more reliant on this technology that we should be?
Do you keep a road map in your car when you’ve got a satnav installed?
What sticky situations have you found yourself in while following a satnav’s instructions?
CarAdvice would love to hear your experiences.
Print it: 
I recently bought a car with factory nav and I have been amazed at how reliant I have been. Where before I may have taken a calculated detour to reach my destination, I now just think, it’s okay “Margot” will tell me how to get there, just do what she says.
Mind, I haven’t ended up in the middle of a field, yet, haha!
Only 20% of women got lost using a sat-nav, because the other 80% probably cant even us it in the first place. LOL.
If you could write a coherent sentence first, then someone might listen to your ‘opinion’.
Tim are yu rea lly that upset ovewer a bittle typ0?
And I couldn’t care less if you listen or not, because it’s not an opinion, it’s a light hearted, tongue-in-cheek dig at our better halves.
Tim, obviously you are a girl and I think your nickers are a little knotted.
I would guess only 20 % actually cannot even use the satnav, the other 80% are like USAF whose spelling is so bad even predictive text on such technology is unable to decipher what the hell they are on about.
And lets not forget those that can actually turn them on and then mount it on the windscreen directly in front of them, like, they don’t need to see the road at all, just follow the satnav and maybe end up in the middle of a field.
The sad thing about this sort of technology is that it is slowly – too fast in some peoples view – removing the ability of people to drive a car.
Once we had headlights that you actually had to turn on – I mean how difficult was that? Now they come on automatically.
Once we had windscreen wipers that you actually had to turn on – I mean how difficult was that? Now they come on automatically.
Once we had to be able to reverse a car by using the mirrors and our own skill at measuring the distance to the – curb, or another car. Now we have review cameras, even some have technology that lines it all up and almost parks it for us.
And the list of useless and pointless features goes on and on. It’s a shame that this site, its reviewers, and other ‘car commentators’ think that when some of these ‘features’ are not included it’s a negative.
Lets remove the in car DVD systems, the sat-nav’s, the auto headlights, the auto windscreen wipers, the reverse parking etc and get back to people actually driving their cars, and not being distracted by the gadgets.
Actually, I’m a slave to tech. auto lights, wipers, entry, sat nav, seats, steering, usb etc, bluetooth. Now I’m used to it. When I get in my wife’s car and have to put a key in the ignition, it’s like, “how primitive!” and when the lights are off auto I get all frazzled. It’s nice having the car think for you. In fact, there is less distraction, not more, coz everything is so simple. I can barely remember the last time I had to fumble around putting a CD in the stereo. I couldnt go back to fiddling around with all that rubbish – I can concentrate on improving my appalling driving instead. And having sat nav has lessened the bickering we used to have when I took directions from the missus – it could in fact be a marriage saver!
Bob, obviously no one needs auto headlights or wipers, but reversing cameras are an excellent safety idea, particularly when it comes to larger vehicles. Too many children have died because they could not be seen behind a vehicle, anything to prevent such accidents from happening is a very good development.
One thing I notice of newer cars is that the constant illuminated dashes are a safety hazard. I have seen many new models driving around with no headlights in very low light hours. I think that the drivers are unaware due to the constant illuminated gauges. It think it should be mandatory that any new model with this feature has an auto head light on option or back up!
It’s called stupidity. If people can’t remember to turn their lights on when it is getting dark, they really should not be driving at all. Auto headlights is a convenience, it really shouldn’t be necessary.
Bawhaaaaaa! Pure comedy…these fools actually drove into the middle of a field. I think that’s where they belong, maybe. LOL
An LP640 satnav actually advised us to drive along a hiking trail to get up Mt Lofty in the Adelaide hills. :/
CA writes: “Drivers should also think about the position of the unit – the satnav unit shouldn’t obstruct your vision or be put where an airbag could be deployed.”
C’mon guys, look where the moron in that picture has their satnav positioned, right in the middle of the windscreen of their Mini. People who put a satnav in that area should have the book thrown at them.
As a motorist and motorcyclist I am alarmed that people are losing the ability to plan a route using a map, identify the key points where they have to turn, then just go and drive it without having to regularly be reminded to ‘turn left 100 metres’.
A friend of mine borrowed a satnav from work to check if it was worthwhile – we drove our ‘normal’ route, and the satnav kept recalculating and telling us to go back because we weren’t going by its preferred route which was twice as long!
In ten years no one will be able to read a Gregorys or UBD (in fact, will they even still be available?)
Show your friend’s mentality is comparable to that of the English women who drove into a field.
An intelligent person knos the Satnav can be programmed to calculate your preferred route by using or not using tollways, freeways, etc.
What none of them have is an easy way to change the preferred calculation method, so you could be using a freeway bypass with preference set to non-freeway, and the thing will tell you to get off at every exit even though you’re on the best path.
I bet everyone still carries a UBD for back up. When I use a GPS I find myself more focused in the anticipation of the next instruction rather than my actual driving. After years of using one, at times I still prefer the UBD and summarised notes method.
Brainless people, yes they exist, quite unfortunately. We may someday see a chimp pass a licence test.
The Lancer’s MMCS sat-nav actually becomes numb when the car is running so you wouldn’t bother pressing it unless you stop. The same thing is true with its DVD player – will show the picture only if on a standstill. This is great initiative from Mitsubishi introducing such high-tech features without compromising safety.
I nearly drove down a boat ramp last night, my sat nav said it was a road… thank God I wasn’t in a hurry… or else I don’t think I would have my 1 week old BMW X5 in the driveway. :S