The machines have finally taken control of the human race
because a stunning 83% of motorists in this country have been led
astray by their sat navs, according to car insurance comparison
site confused.com.
As well as prompting much swearing at the device (women are the
worst for this, apparently), it is costing £203 million a year in
damage to unfortunate vehicles which end up in blind alleyways and
encounter obstructions which shouldn't be there as they execute a
hasty u-turn to appease the insistent instructions.
As well as making sure you patch up any damage with a
professional (and cost-effective) paint rectification service such
as ChipsAway, it is always worth carrying an old fashioned map with
you on journeys to unknown areas to keep your wits about you.
There is no substitute for your own navigation smarts and
instincts, however limited.
If you leave the decision making entirely to a computer you may
end up driving the wrong way down a one way street just because the
sat nav told you to.
Fortunately efforts are being made to improve the situation with
helpful signage denoting sat nav blackspots and encouraging the
manufacturers to refine and update their mapping data.