Once upon a time, drivers used to use paper road maps and road signs to navigate. As a younger driver, the concept of using a paper road map seems a little alien, not to mention difficult. Growing up in a world of technology, driving has been partnered naturally with the use of a Sat Nav. They are small, convenient and the little friend many of us can not drive without. But are they all they are made out to be?
As a nation, we are becoming more reliant on technology in our daily lives; it’s a fact that we cannot escape; the use of a Sat Nav is no different. Over half of Britain’s driving population now use a Sat Nav on a regular basis; that’s over 14 million people.
The press make light regularly about the mishaps drivers have had in the past from relying too much on their Sat Nav to get them to their chosen destination. Whilst these stories may seem bizarre, for example one driver driving off the edge of a cliff. It seems the Sat Nav comes with one extra many of us are no aware of; losing common sense.
A Sat Nav presents itself as an expert, and who are we to question that? We view computers as having unquestionable knowledge, but with Britain’s roads ever-changing, it may be dangerous to rely on a Sat Nav as being 100% accurate. In a recent survey, over 1.5 million drivers admitted to making a sharp, quick manoeuver due to a Sat Nav’s instructions, while five million admitted to driving the wrong way down a one way street. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
So what can be done?
Do we revert back to the trusty failsafe of using paper road maps? Or do we actually read the road signs the highways agency puts up? They must surely be there for a reason? Perhaps its a little bit of all these things. For decades our parents and grandparents managed perfectly well to navigate their families to the seaside through the precarious roads of the UK. But these days we just seem to type in a postcode and expect to arrive at our destination with ease. We must remember though that Sat Navs cannot see the roads in front on us, and unless we regularly update the maps, they will be unable to inform us of changed routes.
It comes down to basic common sense. Use your Sat Nav yes, but remember it doesn’t drive your vehicle for you.