Satnav devices were introduced with the intention of telling drivers where to go so that the driver wouldn’t have to be straining to find the correct route while trying to maintain maximum focus on the road. Unfortunately, many drivers who use satnavs are under the impression that ownership of the device equates to being able to take their focus off the road.
This infographic by Southside Motor Factors (www.smf.ie) contains some shocking statistics about how negligent people can be when they place too much trust in a satnav. As many as 20% of drivers admit to blaming the device for making them hesitate on a busy road and/or sending them to the incorrect destination. More than 1 in 3 drivers say that their satnav had left them confused on occasion, while 1 in 7 admits to making a dangerous or illegal manoeuvre to correct a mistake that arose from flawed satnav instructions.
Despite multiple warnings from road safety experts that the satnav is a navigational accessory and nothing else, drivers continue to act as if they can switch off and let the satnav do the work. Maybe that’s why four actors from a touring theatre company had to be rescued after their satnav directed them into a flooded ford, or why a BMW was left dangling precariously over a 100-foot cliff.
With head-shaking tales such as these, it’s no wonder that satnavs sometimes get bad press, but if they are used properly and do not compromise driver safety, they are excellent driving aids. We have several responsibilities while driving, and one of them is to use a satnav safely if we own one. Once we give the satnav its rightful place while remaining fully focused on the road in front of our own eyes, the device is fulfilling its role as a navigational assistant rather than being treated as a substitute driver.
Check out the infographic below for important satnav safety tips.
