Poll: Majority of British drivers now use sat navs rather than maps. For the first time, the majority of English drivers now rely on electronic satnavs to find their destination, according to a poll. Some 52 per cent of those behind the wheel used the gadgets last year.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.dailymail.co.uk
I remember looking into the eyes of a tourist in a motor-home as he swerved into my lane on the motorway. He was driving with his map book on the steering wheel, turning it around in order to establish his bearing, he was in the third of four lanes having just crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge heading towards our winter-less north.
The reason I remember it so well was because I was wondering as we looked at each other through our side windows if that was going to be the last thing I would see.
To propose that car navigation is distracting forgets some basic truths:
1. The navigation splash screen warns against entering any information or commands into the nav unit whilst driving and reputable brands require you to accept the terms and conditions, typically with a tick box or an enter function.
2. Frequently, especially in urban areas, if you can find somewhere to stop to read a street sign and orient yourself in order to read your map book, there isn’t a street sign in sight.
3. When people don’t know where they are going, especially in urban areas, they are under stress and less likely to be in tune with the road and other vehicles sharing it with them.
4. People don’t read manuals and some car navigation brands take pride in saying you don’t need one. Smart brands will have a demonstration mode where you can try things including a simulation of your route without needing to drive at all. Smart people take advantage of this or ask someone else for help and guidance. Once you are an experienced user, you will follow the voice instructions and occasionally check the screen for confirmation, for example that you are taking the third road on the left.
5. Most navigation buyers today have owned a nav device or app previously and only need to know the nuances of the new one they are using.
TomTom and British insurance companies researched accidents and found that drivers who do not use a navigation system make 12% more claims for damage and claim 5% more damage costs. According to the survey, 62% of navigation system users agreed with the statement that navigation systems make it easier for them to keep their attention on the road.
For more information on this research, you can down load a copy of the report PDF http://www.tomtom.com/lib/img/pr/32324%20TNO_ES-UK.PDF here.
6. Anyone who claims they drove off the road, into the sea, a river or anywhere else they shouldn’t have, is in fact disobeying the terms and conditions they agreed to when they fired it up. The video attached to this story is revealing if it’s true. How far into the sea do you need to drive before you realize you are no longer on a road?
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