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Don't BlindlyTrust Your GPS Device
I don't have a GPS device. For me, part of the fun of road trips is getting lost; I enjoy navigating unknown cities and long, remote stretches of highways with my trusty Rand McNally. That's not to say I wouldn't use a GPS device in conjunction with a paper map -- but I wouldn't rely solely on the satellite navigation system. Case in point: Back in March, the driver of a £96,000 Mercedes relied on her GPS system a little too much and ended up following its directions right into a river."The Mercedes SL500 was swept 600 yards downstream, bouncing from one bank of the River Sense to the other as the woman, in her late 20s and from London, frantically tried to escape," described the Daily Mail. "She was finally rescued by villager Alice Clark when the car ran aground."
This seems to be happening more and more often. A driver in Italy recently trusted their GPS device's directions when it advised pulling off the road and onto a train track. Here's a rather boring video of said car being pushed off of the tracks:
And even when you're not blindly following incorrect, computer-generated directions, studies have shown that "using GPS while behind the wheel is actually more distracting and less safe than unfolding a paper map and using it to find your way," reads our sister site Engadget. Thirteen percent of drivers, according to the survey, relied exclusively on their GPS for directions, "rendering them completely oblivious to the world around them." With numbers that high, I'm surprised we don't have more people driving into rivers and onto railroad tracks.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
rm Jul 4th 2007 10:23AM
I don't think GPS is all bad. A friend of mine used google maps to get to a new restaurant opening we worked that I used my GPS to find. The map took him in a big circle back to the highway exit, 20 miles from where he was supposed to be. It seems common sense was lacking in these instances. Both drivers jumped off a bridge when they were told. Not real smart.
Wayne White Jul 4th 2007 10:36AM
Blaming a GPS for being stupid doesn't fly with me. Mother Nature's survival of the fittest tends to remove these type of people from the gene pool. I get 3-4 times more acomplished in my service industry by the use of my GPS. I don't pay attention to it when it tells me to take a road I know is a traffic jam. Using your brain in conjunction with them though is awesome.
BR Jul 4th 2007 10:50AM
I'm on the road in strange cities often on business. I find that using my GPS allows me to spend more time looking out and around as it tracks me and gives me directions. I actually get more time to enjoy what's around me instead of looking at a map to see where I need to turn next. I would hate to travel without it anymore. About the worse thing it's ever done to me is send me thru a huge commuter parking lot instead of just straight down the street but it took me out the other end and back on track. I love technology!
art Jul 4th 2007 12:03PM
Best thing we've bought in a long time. Used it going from Florida to Ohio and back. Worked great, except one time it kept trying to get me off the Macon, Ga. by-pass and into town. You just have to realize that the lady has a weird sense of humor. Can't let her play jokes on you. I knew better.
marineimaging Jul 4th 2007 1:27PM
GPS on the water has proven to be the best thing since sliced bread. We installed GPS on a new design we worked on for Alaska State Troopers and set out from Galveston on a shakedown cruise. We set our waypoints through the ship channel and and final destination straight out for the Flower Gardens anchor buoy to test the system. As the sun rose the next morning we found ourselves within 100 yards of the buoy. GPS doesn't absolve the operator of responsibility as there were other vessels crossing our path through the night also using GPS, but it was a hundred times better than the old "dead reckoning" system.
Maurice Jul 4th 2007 2:33PM
It never suprises me when someone blames technology for the faults of men. I bought a used Garmin Street Pilot II for about $160 on ebay. It originaly sold for close to $1000 when new. It works great. It has never been wrong for me. I golf a lot, just punch in trips to courses my buddies, and have not played and it gets us there either the shortest route or the fastest, whichever prompt I choose. When we get there I can lookup "Places of interest", and punch in a good place to eat after the round. It has saved me time, and is invaluable. When I punch in a destination, it gives me prompts when I am close to a turn, so I don't have to look at it, I just slow when I am getting in the area of the turn, and look for the street sign it/she) said to turn on. Implying that you might ride into a ditch is silly. If a Rand McNally map says that the road turns at some point, (and most maps - even revised - are years old - so road work may have been done), you could run into a ditch if you followed the route on the map. I have had the most current standard paper maps, and found mistakes on them. I still have them in the car, and have always used them, even now with having the GPS, (mainly as a backup, and to get a full view of the entire area). I also printout mapquest maps, or other internet mapping software, when I take a trip. Again as a back up, should the GPS fail for some reason etc. The GPS unit has never be obtrusive, and actually have helped me learn streets on routes I drive regularly. (I leave it on when I am driving and it lists each street I am driving on or past as I drive - without a voice intrusion either) - These drivers should go to driving school, instead of blame a GPS unit. I too like getting lost and finding my way, but I also like to get to my destination on time when that is required and the GPS does that.
sid shown Jul 4th 2007 4:19PM
I use Microsoft Streets and Trips with GPS. This way I can plan a trip and review it before I commit myself behind the wheel. That way I see if it programs itself for an off street/roadway portion and can correct it. Also I do not blindly turn when it speaks, I double check the facts before I blindly obey. I love the steets and trips as I can set back and enjoy what I see and etc. Yes, it means that I have to carry a laptop operating to use it, but I also like the laptop screen size to quick spot things that I need to vs the extremely small screen and etc from the other common auto GPS units. Being older and with older eyes, this certainly helps. Also there is no costs past the software orginally cost. No monthly fees or minutes usage.
Tim Orris Jul 4th 2007 6:14PM
the true value of gps in in conjested urban areas. you cant pull off to the side to look at a map, there is no place to park. it tells you turn by turn , how far to go, how long it will take, and when detoured how to get back on thed route. it is much safer , especially when traveling solo
robert Jul 4th 2007 7:40PM
If one is so stupid as to pull onto and actually stop on a railroad track because a GPS unit directed them to, the best we could hope for is a speeding train to come by to clean out the gene pool and to recycle that mangled mess into something more useful like more new GPS units.
Barbara Walden Jul 4th 2007 8:22PM
I love my GPS. No, it's not perfect - it sometimes takes me on strange routes. But in the end, it gets me where I need to go. I always travel alone, and watching a map is much more dangerous than listening to a voice give me directions. Also, when out of town, I key in my hotel as "home," then drive without fear wherever I want to go, knowing I can always find my way back to the hotel by punching "home."
j stanton Jul 4th 2007 8:27PM
I purchased a Garmin Nuvi GPS about three months ago and have taken it on two vacations. On both occations it proved invaluable as I was able to concentrate on driving while leaving the navigation to my trusty GPS. Anyone who drives into a river or onto a railroad track and blames the GPS isn't kidding anyone but the insanely daft. This article was baloney.
Peter C. Jul 4th 2007 8:41PM
LOL - Did Simon say drive into a river?
Bre Jul 4th 2007 8:55PM
I am a commercial real estate appraiser. I used paper maps and Street Maps on my laptop as I drove always having to pull over to see where I am if I missed a road. I bought a Garmin Nuvi about 4 months ago and I LOVE IT. The system was a little confused when I hit a rural town I was working in and it tried to take me out some back roads but since I didn't want to end up in a river I turned around and went back and she got me on the right road.
I love my GPS. Leaving for vacation Friday. Don't know all of where we going yet but one thing is for sure, my GPS is going to help point the way.
Hoagie Jul 4th 2007 9:06PM
I have a Magellan GPS and I find it much better than using maps...way better than Mapquest too! Has always taken me to any destination I programmed into it. Planning on packing it in my suitcase for plane trips to other staes and using it in rental cars.
Milton Bell Jul 4th 2007 9:16PM
As shown in the examples above.........some people don't have brains enough to competently use GPS. A healthy dose of skepticism and pragmatism always helps.
JLR Jul 4th 2007 9:16PM
I own a GPS and a number of people I know also own GPS’s. A GPS is no more distracting to a driver than a number of other things that may be performed by a driver, while operating a motor vehicle. Like most all things in life, common sense goes a long way. Plus Garmin has a warning notice that appears when turning the unit on; advising of the danger of using the unit while driving. Also acknowledging, that there are a number of drivers that are “completely oblivious to the world around them” while talking on the cell phones or putting makeup on in the rearview mirror. For these drivers, a GPS would fall into this category. But for a larger number of drivers, a GPS is not a distraction while driving. And for those thirteen percent, for some cell users and those women that feel it necessary to put there makeup on while driving to work in the morning, perhaps a warning label should be placed on these items. “Purchase Of This Item Is Prohibited by Idiots.”
Hap Jul 4th 2007 9:51PM
If you want to have fun with your GPS unit, go to Geocaching.com. It is a world wide treasure hunt where you get the latitude and longitude to go hunting. I have found over 300 in Colorado
Tony Jul 4th 2007 9:52PM
I own the Garmin iQue 3600 and it have given me good service, I went on vacation to California 3 years ago and that GPS was great, there was at one point that is told me to go on an old farm road and the bridge had been taken out, but if you're looking where you're going you can see the bridge is not there, be smart enought to use commonsense, anf you can not do that then you need to get a co-pilot, LOL, LOL, LOL
AMS Jul 4th 2007 9:52PM
Our new car came with a dashboard-GPS, it fooled us a few times, but still takes us where we want to go.
Last weekend we set a POI 40 miles from our home and made it a fun trip following the instructions, although we roughly knew where to go. The GPS made the 40 miles a 80 miles trip, through towns we've never seen before, it fooled us badly, but it took us to the destination.
If we would have been on vacation and didn't know better, we would have never noticed what a detour the GPS had chosen.
My husband made the following comment: Our GPS must have beeen made by a gas company!
Vswindall1 Jul 4th 2007 10:02PM
Darwin Lives!!!