Ten tips to avoid your satnav driving you over a cliff
By Asavin Wattanajantra in Editorial
Posted in top ten tips, cliff, accident on
According to reports, a driver is facing charges after following the directions of a satnav and nearly driving off a cliff.
Robert Jones was directed him up a steep and narrow footpath which led to a fence, a cliff and a 100 foot drop.
He called the AA, which instead directed him to the police who rescued Jones from doom - and then promptly charged him with driving without full care and attention.
He’s quoted as saying: “It kept the path was a road, even as it was getting narrower and steeper, so I just trusted it.
“You don’t expect to be taken nearly over a cliff. I guess I’m just lucky the car didn’t slip all the way over the edge.”
Some of you at the back may be sniggering, but it’s not all a laughing matter. In December a bride-to-be was killed after a driver drove the wrong way up a dual carriageway after following instructions from his satnav.
Last year it was reported that satnav blunders could have caused 300,000 accidents.
So in the interests of public safety, I’m posting ten bits of advice from the AA to make sure you don’t allow your satnav to crash you into an oncoming car, or even lead you to a watery grave.
1 You are driving, not the satnav
You can’t really expect a policeman to listen when you say “It was the satnav’s fault.”
2 Focus on what you see, not what the satnav says
If the road looks wrong - don’t take it. As well as cliffs and the wrong way up a dual carriageways, people have driven into fords, rivers and even down railway lines.
3 You are aware of what you’re driving, but the satnav probably isn’t
The satnav may lead you down roads which your vehicle might not be able to get through, so watch out for signs.
4 Watch the road, not the satnav
You can focus on the satnav too much, especially with the amount of information on the screen. A lot of it is info you don’t actually need.
5 Fix the satnav in a sensible place
Don’t fix the savnav in your line of sight or where it leaves a blind spot.
6 Don’t programme the satnav while driving
It will take your eyes from the road, one hand off the wheel and disengage your brain from the primary job of driving. Pull over and programme it.
7 Use all of the satnav’s features
The satnav can speak, so listen to it rather than look at the screen, especially if you’re driving somewhere especially busy.
8 Check the route is practical before you start
Make sure you’re satnav is taking you the right way. You may have made a mistake in programming, so make sure the route looks ok.
9 Keep updating the satnav
Keep it up to date, because you’ll need to know details like new roads, new one way systems and the like.
10 Don’t let your satnav get stolen
It’s detachable, so take it out when you leave the car.
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